Pandora's Box
by XD W O L F I E
Summary: (Sequel to Of Monsters and Artefacts. No need to read it.) A year has passed since Ruby, Jaune and their allies narrowly saved Remnant, and new threats begin to rise. The dangers are far more personal, as new and old companions alike race to uncover Pandora, while the White Fang and criminals face competition. For Pandora, friends will point their blades at each other's throats.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1- Girl on a mission

Author's note- It's nice to be back on Microsoft Word, getting this sequel underway. I hope I didn't keep my previous readers waiting for too long. If you didn't read Monsters and Artefacts, then no problem. Although a few points and characters will relate to events in the previous story, I'll make sure to give a brief explanation for newcomers. We've got some returning OCs, and a couple of new ones to boot.

In terms of how this is an AU, it's simply how this and the last story have different character relationships than what you see in the canon, and how some things definitely won't add up with the series. For example, Penny is quite familiar with almost everybody in the cast, and Adam was originally the leader of the White Fang, but left because he realised he was screwing the lives of many innocent people like Blake, Weiss, etc. Other relationships and oddities will get some very brief back story.

This will probably be a short chapter. Future chapters will theoretically be longer, and there may be lengthy periods of time between updates.

Well, that's enough dicking around. Let's get this clusterf*** started, with the only way I know how; Violence.

* * *

It should have been a peaceful night in Vale. It should have been quiet, with nothing but the soft hums of vehicles heading for their destinations. It should have been safe for anybody to go through.

And yet, a high speed pursuit was taking place.

A freeway surrounded Vale, roads suspended by pillars that led to every area of the large city. Panes of strong glass sat on the bends and corners to ensure that fatal accidents didn't take place, as a lapse of concentration could lead to the unfortunate occupants of a vehicle crashing into a building below or to the side. According to police records, an accident hadn't occurred for almost a month. Tomorrow morning, they would read less than a day.

Past street lights, past countless cars, past large buildings towering next to the freeway, a single biker sped by, wheels glowing yellow. Its driver dared a glance over her shoulder to see her pursuers. They would catch up in seconds. She urged her silver bike to move faster, to meet her old comrades before 'it' caught her. But even if it did, it would only delay her for a few minutes.

Penny was combat ready.

Secretly, the orange haired robot was grinning. This was exhilarating! This was probably the sort of thing that Yang or her old dog tailed friend would drive. Penny had never even touched a motorbike before, but she had adapted quickly to its controls, swerving through the smallest gaps in traffic. Stealing it from her home might have been one of the best decisions she had made in minutes! Although, what would her owner say if he knew what was happening?

Penny didn't care. Not when her friends were in danger.

Penny wasn't being chased by the police. A swarm of humanoid machines, and 'it,' were hot on her heels. Drivers slammed on their horns and brakes as they increased their speed, as the pursued did everything she could to ensure that the public wasn't disturbed. In their eyes, she was a girl being hunted by vicious machines. She knew first hand how kind people could be to those they considered innocent, so losing the trust of strangers wasn't ideal.

And it paid off almost as soon as the thought crossed her mind. Passing a large truck, the driver swerved to the right to block off a machine, trying to protect the girl. It was caught under the wheels, the bike and its owners spat out with devastating force.

But the others weren't so easily thrown off Penny's scent. 'It' sat at the back of the pursuit force, covered by the shadow of the night. A terrible groan emanated from the huge silhouette, echoing through the darkness, and the forward machines hopped over the obstacles in their path on their bikes. Two sat on a bike, one driving, the other spooling miniguns or readying blades. At the sight of weaponry, civilians thought twice about trying to assist the orange haired girl. They most certainly didn't want to get involved anymore.

Several streams of bullets spread across the freeway denting but not destroying the reinforced glass as Penny made a sharp left, following the road as well as she could. They definitely didn't just want to capture her. They wanted her dead-slash-destroyed. Well, some people she knew would call this fun, so Penny decided to follow that train of thought. Forcing the bike into a higher gear, Penny and her would be killers entered a long stretch of the freeway.

'It' screeched an inaudible mess of words. Penny looked back to see two sets bikers approach from each side, her left opponents toting guns, her right baring blades. She released her own levitating blades from her back as the bladed enemies closed in, the driver first to take a swing. Four of her eight trailing swords were spent parrying the cut, before they all dug into the driver's wrist and pulling him from the bike. It clattered with the bike behind it, three machines colliding and breaking to the ground. The rider of the now driverless bike attempted to jump towards Penny.

All eight blades pierced the attacker, and as the bikes on her left opened fire, Penny positioned it in the line of sight of the bullets, every shot being caught by her victim. Satisfying sounds of metal piercing metal rang out several times before she hurled the machine at a bike, almost instantly crushing the machines. The final bike reloaded their guns, and were about to open fire when the eight swords swept the wheels, capsizing it immediately.

That only dealt with about half of her foes. 'It' groaned again. Looking back, Penny could see its hideous form on the back of a bike. She didn't know its name, why it was created, or why it even existed. The monster showed up one day at home, always watching her with cold, grey eyes. The dead eyes pierced the darkness even now.

The second bastion of mechanical hunters closed the distance. In the sky, a Vale police helicopter arrived, no doubt checking on what the hell was happening, followed by an unmarked helicopter, perhaps belonging to a newspaper reporter. Maybe she had made breaking news, being watched by people throughout Vale.

What if Ruby and her friends were watching? Penny waved at the news reporter with a grin.

"Salutations, friend Ruby!"

She always wanted to do that.

Putting both hands back on the handle bars, Penny swerved around a set of cars. A rocket came dangerously close to her bow. A rider to her left was packing a rocket launcher, the driver producing a blade. It closed in, forcing her to the right of the freeway, about to pass a ridiculously large hotel. She spun the blades to prevent another rocket from blasting her to bits. More engines sounded to her left, as she faced the fact that she was being boxed in, with cars ahead too close to each other to manoeuvre around. A sane being would stop and surrender, the situation dire.

As many would agree, Penny wasn't sane. The bike was packed with two types of Dust, located in the wheels; purple and yellow. The yellow Dust increased the power of the engine, effectively serving as a burst of speed. Purple altered gravity. With that in mind, Penny raised the front of her bike, mounting a car, and hopped over a glass barrier while turning at a right angle towards the ground, the wheels poised at the building. She activated the purple Dust upon making contact with the wall of the huge hotel.

Schnee machines were equally armed. One bike failed to jump over the barrier, resulting in its untimely demise. Three of them made the jump, the rest continuing to follow the freeway. The trio engaged their purple Dust, but one of them was unfortunate enough to land on a window instead of the wall, breaking it and flying into the building, probably severely disturbing the occupant of the room.

Penny's swords scraped on the wall behind her, while at a ninety degree angle. She had approximately five seconds before reaching the corner. Two of her swords flew forward and dug into the corner of the building, as the other six were concerned with the two remaining enemies. One of them fired a minigun, the bullets shredding the wall leading up to her, spraying pieces everywhere. Penny purposely slowed down with a smirk, the bullet stream narrowly avoiding her.

Despite her slower speed, the purple glowing wheels stuck to the building, as the two foes sped past. They had no way of rounding the corner, even with their Dust. The instant they reached it, with their speed, the wheels left the surface, and they fell away to the ground. Both crashes filled the night sky as Penny held her bike tightly, the two blades she sent a moment ago gripping the building. On thin wires, she and her contraption swung through the air, the wheels connecting with the other side.

The Dust wouldn't last forever. There was perhaps seven seconds left, at most. Fortunately, she had performed this feat with the layout of Vale and its freeway embedded in her memory banks. This side of the hotel ended with the freeway in sight once more. The police helicopter shone a light on her, making sure she was in full view for the world to see.

The purple Dust dispersed as her wheels left the hotel. She gave another wave at the news reporter as she flew through the air, hoping her friends just saw that. How would Jaune react to this? If her memories from a year ago were correct, she learned that Jaune wasn't good with air travel during that time they dived off an airship to catch a bad guy. She quite looked forward to meeting him again, since he swore to go on a date with her.

She landed heavily on the highway, denting the road as cars hammered their horn and swerved away. Another helicopter hovered in the distance behind her, likely tracking her pursuers. This particular section featured three sets of elevated roads, with Penny on the bottom and they on the top, nobody but citizens on the second level.

It didn't take long for them to catch up. A spotlight tailed a group of Schnee bots as they jumped their bikes to the second level. On instinct, the driver of a car turned sharply and accidentally crashed to the bottom next to Penny, causing a pileup. Over the crash barrier, the group jumped again, nearly landing on their target. She turned so the width of her bike faced the four bikes, and tossed six swords horizontally at them. The drivers ducked, with only one of the eight robots being decapitated.

According to her databanks, this road led to Vale itself. She didn't want to risk endangering people's lives when they could be friendly people. With that in mind, she surrounded the bottom of her bike with the eight swords, initiating the charging procedure. An opponent attempted to get near her, but their tires were severed instantly, sending the occupants scattering ahead of her.

The others opened fire as the charging process finished. She mounted the bike she just disabled, retrieving a small amount of airtime, and fired her weapon.

The green laser blasted through the road just before the turn into Vale. Drivers watched in amazement as a girl on a bike levitated with the use of a laser, easily leaping onto the next level. The laser split into smaller beams apart as she flew, one of them tearing a pair of foes in half. It dispersed as she landed safely. Whatever machines remained crashed into the reinforced glass of the bend.

The third, highest road separated into the distance. Ahead of Penny, the second road led to a well lit tunnel.

A thud alerted Penny to her final enemy. 'It' jumped down to the second level. As they entered the tunnel, Penny slammed the gear into reverse and turned around, still proceeding through the environment, sliding in between cars as she steered the bike backwards.

'It' was just as awful to look at as she remembered. The hulking mass of discoloured flesh lent credence to its label as a monster. The wind whipped at white, greasy hair, as metal wires around its neck seemed to be the only thing stopping its head from slumping to the side, like its neck muscles weren't capable of supporting the head. Its heaving, pale bare chest carried signs of experimentation, with the inhumanly large legs almost sagging from the bike. Gender identification was impossible. Penny was naïve and didn't disturb easily, but she had to stop taking in its appearance to defend herself.

'It' looked strangely comical on its bike, which was tiny by comparison. A hand raised, the leader and last member of the pursuit activated its yellow Dust, increasing its speed to sound barrier-breaking point. With a single swipe of its huge, metal paw, 'It' brushed aside a car with no regard for the passengers, the vehicle being crushed against the wall of the tunnel and destroying a light.

Penny wasn't sure of its weapon capabilities, and turned back around, activating her own yellow Dust. Being lighter than her opponent, Penny was slightly faster, speeding past vehicles.

A blast indicated a threat. Penny looked back to see 'It' had fired a missile that suspiciously tracked Penny's position. That wasn't fair. Why didn't she have a weapon as epic as homing rockets? Not only that, the rocket came from its wrist! She had to keep her weapons where a human's spine would be.

The missile barely skidded over the roof of a car in its chase with surprising speed. Penny weaved from side to side, trying to trick its seeking mechanic into hitting the wall, but to no success. Deciding on all or nothing, Penny drove for the slanted wall.

She didn't need purple Dust to stick to the wall, as her sheer speed kept her glued to the surface. The missile was mere metres away as she drove upside down in the tunnel. It was nearly upon her when she kicked off the roof, sending her back to the road while it flew past, striking the ceiling, and shattered pieces impacted the ground.

'It' drove straight through the rubble, not affected in any way. The end of the tunnel was in sight, but the enemy was gaining fast due to her diversionary tactics.

The grey machine took both metal paws off the handlebars, aiming for the ends of the tunnel instead of her. The wrists unpacked, revealing a series of small rockets. Penny ducked down as they fired.

The rockets rushed past, hitting the ceiling and sides of the tunnel. Debris shattered and fell, blocking her escape route. (Or so 'It' thought.). Penny was forced to stop, but she already had an idea. Other vehicles stopped and passengers screamed in fear of the fighters.

Penny turned her bike back towards the other end of the tunnel, as her opponent stopped in wait. She couldn't escape. Not only that, she appeared suicidal, as Penny revved the engine and charged back at 'It.'

Penny couldn't help but grin as her enemy readied its arms, unloading another barrage of explosives at behind itself. Both paths were blocked off, debris crushing an unfortunate soul in his vehicle.

The orange haired machine wasn't planning to escape through the other end either, and the other began to drive forward as well, planning to meet her halfway. To its surprise, she bunny hopped over it, just about clearing her threat.

'It' pointed its arms at her, who appeared to be trapped. Even so, she looked back and gave a cheeky smile, like she knew something the other didn't.

What happened to her swords?

Thin wires led from the original exit all the way back to her. She left her retractable swords dug into the exit before charging.

If its vocabulary wasn't limited, it may have sworn as Penny initiated her swords' hidden feature. She was pulled off her bike at incredible speeds, while also delivering a drop kick to 'It's' head. Upon collision, both machines hurtled to the debris blocked exit, her feet firmly implanted in her foes' head.

'It' took the full brunt of the wreckage as they burst through, the obstacle barely affecting their speed. Gliding over the road, Penny couldn't see her surroundings, and pulled her swords around herself, trying to dig them into her opponents' shoulder blades.

The pair struck the ground, but they didn't stop moving. They bounced back into the air immediately, flung over the crash barrier and into Vale, scraping against a building and breaking several windows. Unable to make a decent attack, Penny tossed her blades at the buildings they glided between.

As the blades found their target, she was almost catapulted back to the freeway. 'It' screeched while trying to right itself in the air. Penny watched while straightening out, suspended between the buildings, as the thing slammed against a wall in a building in the distance. She was surprised that it didn't go straight through.

The greasy haired machine threw its fists to its sides, still lodged in the building. Wrists unloaded, it fired all remaining missiles, launching back at Penny. She reciprocated by digging the rest of her blades into the backs of the buildings, creating a spider web, using them to pull back. After reaching a sufficient distance, Penny retrieved the excess swords, and allowed herself to be propelled at the last of the pursuit force.

'It' accelerated with an arm behind it, ready to pound Penny back to the ground. Penny formed her swords into a single, piercing blade. The fight reached its denouement.

Penny pirouetted through the air, in slow motion through their eyes, as her enemy's fist swiped an inch away from her jaw. Blades prepared, they stabbed it in the knee, and its momentum was stopped instantly while Penny continued to soar past. Powerless, 'It' was dragged along as the blades in its knee followed their owner.

Penny forced her swords in front of her as she approached the building the discoloured previously struck. Her victim was the one to be rammed through, breaking clean through the building at ridiculous speeds. They continued through the building, which Penny assumed to be an apartment complex as they burst through bedrooms and kitchenettes. A bundle of grapes splattered against her shoulder before they left behind screaming residents.

"Pandora…"

Penny heard 'It' whisper a name as they slowed down in the air. Just to make sure the thing didn't get up and try to stop her again, Penny rolled in the air, the defeated opponent circling around her.

As it gained speed, Penny retracted her swords, and her rival was hurtled towards the ground, wisps of air visible through its descent.

"PANDORA!"

She didn't know why the thing was crying out the single word with its ghoulish voice. After a moment, it became a dot, and a crash, followed by an uprising of dust and parts of the road, signalled its contact with the planet.

Against her best judgment, Penny wanted to know how much it knew about Pandora. She slowed her descent by latching onto various buildings.

A crowd formed around the crash site of the machine. Gasps sounded out as Penny dropped down next to it. The streets showed signs of sleet, indicating the winter weather the town was experiencing. Whispers and murmurs followed as Penny knelt down next to the machine planted into the ground, wiping away the grape splatter on her shoulder. The things eyes were closed, as though it were inactive, but that wouldn't be surprising.

"Pandora..."

It whispered the word while opening its grey, steely eyes, burning into Penny's slightly concerned-but-friendly expression. This machine clearly wasn't an ally, and she wasn't sure what to call it.

"Mr. It? Do you know about Pandora as well?"

Her sweet, innocent tone only served to annoy it. Not knowing its name didn't help either.

"PANDORA!"

It screamed the name at Penny, shaking in its position in the ground. Humans backed away in surprise, some of them running away.

"Do you know anything at all? Where it is? Where it came from?"

The ugly machine relaxed slightly with a worried expression, as though suddenly fearful.

"Can't."

"You can't answer?"

"Turn scrap. Like you. You scrap soon."

That wasn't very nice.

"I see… Well, I'm off!"

Penny bounded to her feet. She wasn't scared of Pandora or her owners. She had a mission.

Before she jumped away, 'It' had one last thing to say.

"Pandora. Everyone want! People kill! Friends betray!"

What did it know about friends? Friends don't betray each other.

Ignoring the eyes around her, Penny latched onto a building and made her way to her objective.

* * *

Author's note- They ARE called freeways in America, right? Yes, I'm well aware that the show isn't set in America, but I'm trying to use some American terms, here.

Well, you've all got a small taste of what's to come. You like?


	2. Chapter 2- Report

Chapter 2-

Author's note- You mean to tell me that this season of RWBY actually has a plot? Aghast!

* * *

Junior's club was unlike anything Emerald had seen or experienced before. The red eyed girl observed the people on the dance floor, all of them caught up in the excitement and atmosphere of the club, with loud music blaring through the speakers in every corner of the room.

Emerald sat at the end of the bar. Behind her, a pair of girls chatted quietly, so quiet that she couldn't make out what they were talking about. They looked like twins, but their personalities seemed to contrast widely. It was likely that these were the Malachite twins Cinder had mentioned once. Supposedly, they along with Cinder, Junior and Torchwick helped to defeat Thane and protect Remnant last year, an event the real details of which never reached the public, thanks to headmaster Ozpin of Beacon. She had a more difficult time believing that Torchwick helped.

Emerald couldn't recall all of the facts that Cinder gave her about the event, but it wasn't important. Only their meeting mattered at this moment in time.

"Drink?"

She snapped out of her thoughts as a gruff voice spoke over the music. On her left, behind the bar, Junior stood with his arms crossed.

"Mineral water."

Junior wore his sunglasses, hiding his eyes, like he didn't want to be recognised. It was folly considering his size and presence. Reaching into a small fridge below the bar, he pulled out a bottle of water and slid it along to the bar towards her.

It wasn't Emerald's hand that caught it.

"We're in the most active and engaging club in town, and you choose water? Where's your sense of fun?"

Mercury appeared from nowhere, taking a seat next to her. He put a hand through his silvery hair while Emerald took the water. Junior leaned on the bar between them, peering across the room cautiously, as the girl took a sip before speaking.

"You're… early? What happened?"

He seemed to take offence, and put on a show of faux harm.

"What happened? Why, are you suggesting that I'm always late and never take these duties seriously?"

"Yes."

"Fair enough."

Mercury turned on his stool, against the bar, checking the crowd on the dance floor. The place was almost exactly as he imagined it. Bright lights, excellent music, attractive girls. Junior poured an alcoholic drink for himself and took a large gulp.

"This is just a regular meeting, right? Satan never tells me anything."

Mercury glanced at him over his shoulder.

"You actually call her that when she's around?"

Junior shrugged with a smirk.

"Course I do. What, are you kids afraid of her or something? Me, Cinder and Torchwick built up a good working relationship last year."

"Brag about it."

Mercury rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the floor. A new song started playing, fast paced and upbeat. With a smile, he looked towards Emerald, who sat innocently drinking her water. She stared back at him, curious.

"…What?"

He jumped to his feet.

"Care to dance?"

She almost spilled her drink with wide eyes.

"I do care! Where do you get off asking me to dance?"

"Aw, did I make the great Emerald blush? Am I stealing the master thief's heart?"

She crossed her arms and glared at him.

"I'm about to steal your heart in a more literal way. I. Am. Not. Dancing."

Mercury sighed with a shrug, walking to the other side of the bar.

"Suit yourself. I'll just find somebody more entertaining. Hey, these girls look like they know how to have a good time!"

Leaving Emerald behind, he approached the Malachite twins, who were having a private discussion. The girl in white, with straight hair and more makeup, was speaking matter-of-factly to who was clearly her sister. The girl in red wasn't making eye contact, suggesting a shyer personality, as the other sighed.

"We'll start packing tomorrow. Norn sent a message earlier saying that she and Katil were returning soon."

Mercury didn't have a place in this conversation, not knowing what they were discussing, but he decided to be bold while the girl in red responded.

"I… feel sorry for Junior. He's done so much for us…"

"Junior was happy when we told him. Personally, I don't think he ever liked the idea of us being involved with people like Torchwick or Cinder. For tonight, let's just celebrate, okay?"

That was his queue. He flicked his hair on his approach, the twins turning to him.

"I couldn't help but notice that you lovely ladies are unescorted tonight. In light of my boring partner being boring, would you care to dance? A fantastic song has started."

Melanie, in white, eyed him.

"Partner?"

"Work colleague."

"Fine. I've been approached by worst suitors. Miltia, don't do anything dangerous or outrageous."

Miltia meekly slinked back in her chair, not amused by the antithesis to her personality. Melanie joined Mercury, and they walked over to the dance floor.

Miltia sipped her orange juice as Junior came over, both of them watching the pair.

"I suppose this is the last night for a while where she can do things like that. Both of you are about to have different responsibilities."

Miltia bowed her head slightly.

"I know this has been coming for a whole year, but now that it's here…"

Junior walked around the bar and sat next to her.

"Don't tell me you're having second thoughts. Don't you want to join your friends?"

"Of course! I just underestimated how difficult it would be to leave this place. You've taken care of us for so long, and everybody in this circle might not be the most pleasant people in Remnant, but I've come to care for all of them. I'm so used to everyday life, like Cinder leading the pack and Torchwick being ignored and burnt regularly…"

Junior put a large hand on her shoulder.

"It's time to move on. You've got your future ahead of you, and it should be brought about by your own hand. You decided to enrol, even when you weren't sure that your sister would. And I'm proud of you. Both of you are like my daughters, you know?"

Miltia sniffled, hanging her hair over her eyes.

"R-Really?"

"That's right. Melanie's stubborn and uncaring, and you're quiet and don't like get involved in anything, but I don't think these past two years would have been quite the same without you here. Nobody can take your places for me."

They shared a hug, Miltia crying silently.

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be. You're going to love it at Beacon with your friends. Just don't get yourselves killed. And if you find yourselves in Vale, drop by and tell me what it's like, okay?"

She pulled away and nodded.

"I-I will, Dad!"

Junior felt a sting in his heart. He had never been called that before, but it was actually rather nice. For a split second, his own resolve wavered as he realised that his daughters were leaving him, but he knew it was for the best. They deserved better than the lives of crime that they had.

Three people entered the club, two familiar, the other unknown. Junior gave a smile at Miltia as he took his position at the bar.

"Go enjoy your last night here, however you do it."

Miltia smiled and wiped away her tears. Of the three people who entered, one was Cinder, and the girl walked up to her.

Cinder generally protruded a dangerous, ominous presence. The tension of the entire club was raised upon her entry, with people on the dance floor whispering and gathering their bags, ready to leave. Some of them gasped when Miltia approached her, perhaps believing her to be suicidal. The music seemingly became quieter when they met.

"Cinder?"

Cinder stood with her arms crossed, giving a sense of authority. She was only slightly taller than the girl, but her presence made it appear as though she were looking down on her.

"Miltia."

"U-Um, I-"

"-You're leaving us?"

Miltia bowed down, staring at her feet.

"I'm sorry…"

Cinder looked around, noting that almost the entire club was staring. She didn't want to lose face here. She had an appearance to maintain.

"You disappoint me. For your sake, don't show your face around here again. We don't take kindly to deserters."

Miltia understood. The atmosphere of the club returned, and people quickly lost interest, now that they knew that nobody would be getting maimed.

As she began to walk away, Cinder quickly bent down and whispered into her ear.

"Take care of yourself. If you should ever encounter a… problem, just call me."

Her real farewell was short and to the point. Miltia grinned slightly as Cinder joined her companions at the bar, and left to pack her belongings.

Cinder pointed at a soft drink at the bar while taking her seat next to Emerald. Junior obliged and slid it across the bar to her. Torchwick and their new ally sat further along, waiting for the discussion to begin. The rogue with the white hat scanned the bar.

"It seems Tweedle B is absent, as per usual."

Cinder deduced that he was talking about Mercury. Emerald pointed over to the dance floor, and the whole group looked over.

Despite the lack of an execution a moment ago, Cinder's presence was still enough to derail the ecstatic environment of the club. Many people had gathered their bags and began to leave, causing the dance floor to become barren. In fact, it was so barren, that Mercury was one of the last people present. Melanie had completely vanished.

He hadn't noticed how much of an embarrassment he was right now. The music quieted down just as he began to perform the 'robot,' which he considered his best move.

"Hey, Mel! Check it out! You can't keep up with this… Melanie?"

Mercury stopped dead in his tracks upon seeing that he was the last remaining person still dancing. The entire club was silent while a few people at the side of the room sniggered and giggled.

Emerald couldn't contain herself as Mercury scratched his head and awkwardly came back to the group.

"That… What was that wriggling!?"

Mercury gave a tut and sat down on the other side of her.

"Trust me, it always catches on in other clubs!"

"Senior clubs?"

Cinder breathed out deeply, indicating that they should stop talking. Mercury cleared his throat.

"My apologies, Ma'am."

Cinder sipped her drink.

"Moments like this make me wish the Malachite twins aren't leaving."

It occurred to Mercury that he was dancing with one of the twins. He heard that they were actually very capable, but leaving for Beacon soon.

Torchwick put a cigarette in his mouth, grinding grains of red Dust between his fingers to light it.

"Strawberry Sunrise, if you would please."

Torchwick placed his order to Junior. The taller man nodded and made the drink while giving a glance towards their new companion.

"Want anything? If you're here to join our little discussion, it's on the house."

Junior had been in this business long enough to judge somebody based on their first impression. Even so, it was painfully obvious that this man wasn't a criminal, in fact, perhaps the exact opposite. He resembled more a detective.

Similar to Torchwick, he wore a trilby hat, but dark cream and without a feather. A standard trench coat stretched to his ankles, covering his slim build. Slightly taller than Torchwick but not quite at Junior's level, his presence gave the impression of a man down on his luck, hunching over the table.

"Something with alcohol. Preferably lots."

Slightly raspy, the man gave a quick glance up, revealing his intelligent, narrow, turquoise eyes. Junior had seen his type; wrinkles in his cheeks, maybe forty years old, ripe with experience. Although his hat covered his hair, a few strands of black and grey hair hung over his face.

Junior mixed an alcoholic drink. He knew an ex-alcoholic when he saw one, and this man was definitely one. Perhaps still is.

Torchwick puffed his cigarette.

"We shall be hiring him for a few things is all. That happens to include Cinder's 'suspicions' about last year."

"Huh… Rather you than me, buddy."

The man tipped his hat.

"Whatever pays the bills. Frankly, I just need a job."

He coughed, much like somebody who smoked too much. Maybe he was quitting.

Cinder turned to address him.

"Caius. You are effectively becoming one of us by hearing our upcoming discussions. Oh, and I trust you understand the nature of the tasks we shall present to you? Discretion is paramount."

Caius brushed the strands of hair out of his eyes.

"I'm aware of that fact. Don't worry, as long as I'm paid, I won't fail or squeal."

Emerald whispered to Mercury.

"Think he's trustworthy? We had to kill the last person who betrayed us."

Mercury shrugged.

"He's motivated by money, not ethics. I doubt he'll end up as a target."

Cinder heard their speech, but said nothing. At least the pair was cautious.

"Very well. Let us begin."

Caius could feel the tension in the air. The group shifted and wore serious expressions. Chitchat was over.

Torchwick began, taking a drink.

"Well, surprise surprise, we've still had no sightings of Thane. A year has passed, sweetheart. I assure you, the snake-like fiend is well and truly dead."

Junior chuckled.

"He better be. If we didn't have to chase him all the way to Terra Montem with the White Fang, Schnee machines and my men starting an all out war in the town, I wouldn't have been landed with the bill for the damages. You know I only just paid that off?"

Over the past two days, Cinder had filled in Caius on the details of Thane and what occurred last year, although it took some convincing on her part. Apparently, Thane was one of four warriors in the past that discovered Dust and turned the tide of the struggle against Grimm. A snake Faunus, he and his moral fibre constantly argued with the other three warriors, resulting in two of their deaths. The last of the three sealed him in a mirror using his own semblance, the ability to detach his soul from his body, against him. There, he was trapped for one hundred years, until he was accidentally released by the descendants of the warriors, Jaune Arc, Adam Taurus, and Cinder Fall.

It sounded completely ridiculous. But after his own research, he found that she wasn't lying. A statement from the headmaster of Beacon proved she was correct, and Caius didn't take Ozpin for a liar.

The climax of Thane's release took place in a mountain town, where Schnee machines, the White Fang, and the criminal's goons started a fight on a grand scale. Cinder wasn't present at all of the battles in Terra Montem, but she confirmed that she personally destroyed Thane's body. The problem was his semblance. He could take soulless bodies for his own, such as Grimm. If he detached his soul from his body before being destroyed, he could have possessed such a being and escaped with his life, if it could be called that.

"Just to clarify, Thane can possess anything without a soul?"

Cinder sipped her drink.

"Indeed. It should be noted that the body must be capable of functioning. A decapitated body would be highly ineffective."

Caius had taken out a notepad from his pocket, withdrawing a pencil and taking notes.

"What if he doesn't find a body? Couldn't he just stay in soul form?"

"No. All souls need a body, and if he fails to take one, his soul will quickly decay."

Torchwick snuck a glance at the notepad. In the corner of one of the pages was scribbled 'Pay the bitch's alimony- Tuesday.' He was a divorcee, and the pronoun suggested it wasn't an amicable break-up.

"I see. Did there happen to be any such soulless bodies at Terra Montem?"

The group looked at Junior, the one who called the reinforcements of his goons to the town in the event.

"I don't know about the White Fang, but our side suffered a few casualties. Still, our dead was accounted for. Nobody was missing."

Caius nodded. Dead bodies had no souls, but if all of his men were accounted for, Thane couldn't have taken one of them.

"I suppose speaking with the White Fang leader will be in order."

He put it in his mental list of things to do. Junior pointed out a flaw with the statement.

"Doubt he'll know anything. Adam Taurus was the leader at the time, but he stepped down afterwards and started travelling. The current leader probably doesn't know much."

Caius was used to things being complicated by now.

"Thanks for the tip. By all means, proceed."

He kept his notepad close to hand in case something else in their conversation piqued his interest. Cinder sighed, maybe out of frustration with the lack of sightings of Thane. She truly believed he wasn't dead.

"Caius will handle the tracking of Thane, so let us end this topic. Speaking of the White Fang, how fares relations with them, Roman?

Torchwick chuckled under his breath.

"Their new leader, quite honestly, is a moron of the highest caliber. Manipulating them has been incredibly simple. All we need to do is help them make a few stands, show the world that they shouldn't be trifled with, blah blah blah. Specifically, they want assistance in an upcoming scheme of theirs, which involves an attack on a tourist attraction."

"Hmm… We'll put it on our to-do list. A detailed discussion can come later. Junior, inform us of your progress on the Hephaestus cult."

Junior leaned on the bar.

"I'm telling you, even MY intelligence network is having trouble getting details on it. I haven't seen somebody want to hide something this badly since Torchwick got beaten by a girl in this bar and lost a priceless artefact."

Torchwick slammed his fist on the bar.

"It never happened!"

Cinder pondered carefully.

"Ah, I recall that happening… Was it not to the girl with the dog tail? And you lost the Starlight? In front of all of Junior's men? And I punished you thoroughly for it?"

Emerald and Mercury couldn't stop themselves from giggling like school children, even if they didn't understand the context of the fight. Cinder once mentioned how important the Starlight was, and that was all they needed to know. Torchwick decided to move on.

"At any rate, surely you discovered something? Impenetrable security is impossible."

Junior shrugged nonchalantly.

"Don't know what to tell you. They caught one of my moles, so information dried up instantly."

Cinder didn't look pleased.

"Get another mole in. I don't like the sound of a new organisation more powerful than us."

"C'mon, Satan, they're leagues behind us. If their stories and myths draw in any more idiots, we can just wipe 'em out."

A glint in Cinder's eye caught his gaze. It was a sign that she expected more from him.

"Amend your statement."

He rolled his eyes.

"…But, for your sake, I'll put in another one of my men. Happy?"

Hephaestus wasn't too important for now, but Cinder didn't like taking chances. She expected to hear the name again sometime in the near future.

"Caius."

"Hm?"

"Let us discuss your second objectives."

Caius turned to face her.

"Which is?"

Cinder sipped her drink.

"We have enemies. Many of them. Some are open with their attacks on us, despite our power, influence and discretion. We can deal with these. Others, however, are far more subtle and secretive, drawing plans and gathering resources in order to destroy us. These enemies are difficult to annihilate."

"Am I safe in assuming that you want me to find these enemies of yours?"

He was going to continue his question, but burst into a fit of coughing. Cinder responded regardless.

"Correct. We have come to some conclusions about who is after us, such as the Schnee Corporation."

"What about that-*COUGH!*- Hephaestus cult you were talking about? They sound like a threat to me."

"They are, but they are not relevant right now. They may become a job for you later, detective."

"Fine. Forward the list of your competitors to me later."

It was nice to be under employment once more.

Mercury was swiping through his scroll in the interim. Apparently, a series of crashes followed a motorbike chase nearby, with sightings of an orange haired girl and some abomination in the street afterwards. What a town.

Emerald cleared her throat.

"Ma'am? Any tasks for us?"

"Originally, I was planning on using you two for information gathering, but the job is now in the hands of a professional."

Caius didn't care about the glares the pair was shooting him. Kids shouldn't be here, anyway.

"So…"

"So instead, just do your standard duties. You're only here so that you remain in the loop."

Emerald wasn't pleased, but didn't dare show it. Sometimes, it felt like Cinder saw them as ersatz copies of the Malachite twins. Hell, the twins were the ones to be a part of the Thane incident last year, whilst she and Mercury were just relegated to keeping up with their normal tasks in Vale. Ridiculous.

"…Yes, Ma'am."

"Don't pout. Your time to prove yourselves will come soon."

Cinder's last statement actually elated her spirit slightly, although Mercury was sceptical, but didn't comment.

Torchwick brought the topic back around to the White Fang.

"Now, shall we go through the plan to assist those animals? They were thinking along the lines of attacking a theme park, or the Grand Library, any place important to tourism. So long as they're satisfied, their help is guaranteed in Dust collecting-"

He was cut off as the doors to the club slammed open. Emerald and Mercury jumped to see the intruder, whose shadow cast through the empty centre of the room. The pair, also responsible for the protection of Cinder and her cohorts, were about to ready their weapons when the owner of the shadow spoke.

"It's splendid to see you again, sort-of-friend Cinder, sort-of-friend Torchwick, and sort-of-friend Junior!"

Cinder, Torchwick and Junior froze in place, Torchwick with his drink pressed to his lips. He slowly put it down, not believing that she of all people was visiting them. The trio shared steady glances before turning around. The hat wearing rogue pressed his palm to his forehead.

"Sort-of-friend? Don't flatter yourself."

Penny stood in the doorway, hands on her hips with a smile. She might not have heard Torchwick.

After convincing herself that Penny wasn't a hallucination, Cinder spoke.

"Penny? Why are YOU of all people here?"

"It's simple, sort -of-friend Cinder! I need help!"

* * *

Author's note- I learnt my lesson last time; Plot progression will be faster, and there won't be much in the way of filler. Details on everything going on with the criminals were scant and maybe even confusing this chapter, but everything mentioned will come into its own later.

It feels weird to use Cinder instead of Crimson.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Weiss?"

"Yes, Yang?"

"Wanna hear a joke?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Nope."

"Proceed."

"What did the 0 say to the 8?"

"I don't know."

"Nice belt."

"Yang."

"Yes, Weiss?"

"Get out."

Teams RWBY and JNPR sat in a group in the cafeteria, a wide variety of breakfast foods spread out between them. Being a Saturday, the eight had slept until ten before waking and eating together, with the added benefit of the cafeteria being almost empty.

Nobody had plans for the weekend, hence their late breakfast. Blake finished her tuna roll and quietly reading a newspaper as Nora and Ruby helped themselves to anything they could get their hands on. Pyrrha and Jaune spoke in hushed tones, but they couldn't deceive Blake's ears.

"Jaune, sparring against myself constantly is ineffectual for improvement. Nobody has anything to do this weekend, so maybe-"

"N-No, that's okay. I mean, I don't wanna waste their time on somebody like me, you know?"

"Jaune, are you worried of what everybody will think when they discover that I have been teaching you the principles of combat?"

"Me? Worried? No, no!"

"Yes, that's exactly what it is, isn't it? What happened to casting away your macho pride?"

Blake's scroll vibrated, snapping her out of her eavesdropping. She took it out to see that she received a message.

While Blake responded, Ren was watching a newscast on his scroll. Lisa Lavender currently gave a report on the various goings on of the world.

'The theme park is scheduled to open tomorrow, with tourists and residents of Vale alike planning on making it their destination for the day.

'In other news, the Hephaestus cult has openly declared their intent to the world. The cult wishes all to join them in their worship of Pandora, which they claim to be an object that grants the wishes of its owner. The police have been forced to take action against them as the group has staged rallies across Remnant, from Menagerie to Vacuole, in an effort to recruit more supporters to their cause.

'Individuals have spoken out against the Hephaestus cult, including the police chief of Vale, Bartholomew Oobleck of Beacon Academy, and many historians who refute the existence of Pandora-'

"BOOOORIIIING!"

Nora snatched the scroll out of Ren's hands, switching to another channel.

"Nora…"

Ren actually found the topic of the cult fascinating. He wasn't even aware that Nora was listening in. The orange haired girl chose a channel that advertised the theme park Lavender mentioned, detailing its rides and attractions.

"Ruby! Ruby! Look at this!"

Nora jumped over the table, unaware of the fact that she kicked away several plates of food, and sat next to the leader of RWBY. The younger girl gasped with excitement at the sight of the theme park while Ren sighed, now without a scroll or any way to entertain himself.

He observed the group. Weiss filed her nails as Yang slumped on the table in boredom. Pyrrha and Jaune stopped whispering to each other, although the girl seemed annoyed and the boy looked solemn.

"Is something wrong?" Ren asked innocently.

"Nothing." Pyrrha responded without much emotion, which Ren took as a sign that something is awry.

"We're a team. It's not healthy to keep things from each other."

Curse Ren for always being right, Pyrrha thought. She rolled her eyes and spoke softly in his ear.

"Ren, you've noticed how myself and Jaune sneak away at times, correct?"

"Well, I didn't want to say anything, but I assumed that a girl and a boy sneaking away like that constantly could only mean one thing."

"We train on the roof."

"…Oh. That was quite different to what I was picturing."

The pair training was Ren's second choice for what they did together. He and Nora frequently heard the sound of metal clashing on the roof, but guessed that the other teams needed to blow off some steam on each other every now and then. There was always an argument in team CRDL's room.

"Nevertheless, Jaune has always shied away from admitting it."

"So you're doing it for him?"

The others hadn't heard them yet, although he suspected the cat Faunus of the group was listening carefully. He had been weary of Blake eavesdropping on every conversation ever since she admitted her heritage. Ren wasn't sure if Jaune, sitting next to Pyrrha, was actually listening to their whispering.

"Jaune has certainly improved, but his improvements are based on my style of combat, which is incompatible with his weapon. He needs to spar with others."

Ren turned over the fighting styles of their friends in his mind.

"Ask Blake for assistance. I'm sure she would keep the matter a secret."

He spoke with such a tone that Pyrrha could tell he was actually speaking to Blake. They turned to see the cat Faunus nod, without taking her eyes off her scroll.

Jaune cleared his throat and smiled nervously. So he was listening after all.

"Look, guys, it's fine. Blake's great and all, but Pyrrha's style is-"

"Blake, are you available tomorrow night?"

Pyrrha cut him off. Blake glanced up with a nod, and returned to being engrossed with the conversation on her scroll. Ren decided it was the end of the topic. Now, how to spend the day?

Ruby swiftly jumped into the air, knocking away her plate of cookies.

"Team RWBY! Team JNPR!"

The few people in the cafeteria looked over at the scene she suddenly made. Weiss put her nail filer away.

"What now?"

Nora jumped up next, starting the speech.

"Tomorrow, we embark on an epic quest! We will cross the frozen, wintery wastes of Vale, passing through the treacherous urban environment, in order to reach the promised land. For tomorrow, we will-"

"-Go to the theme park?"

Ren interrupted her abruptly. Nora gasped in surprise.

"How did you know!?"

"I'm psychic."

"You never told me that!"

Weiss quickly stopped them.

"A theme park? Will it be more amusing than Yang's jokes?"

"You know you love 'em." Yang chimed in.

Ruby shoved the scroll in Weiss' face. Some images of the park in the news article included rollercoasters, arcades, rollercoasters, haunted houses, several generic theme park rides, and more rollercoasters.

"…What exactly is the theme of this park?"

Ruby and Nora glanced at each other. The leader shrugged and looked back.

"Let's go find out tomorrow!"

Weiss put the scroll pack down.

"I'll pass. Professor Oobleck has set for us an essay on why the Hephaestus cult is full of liars and fools. I intend to score one hundred percent."

Yang detected a hint of determination that showed Weiss' agreement on the topic of the essay.

"C'mon, the deadline's still a week away. Come have some fun for once, will ya?"

Yang poked her shoulder, but Weiss shrugged the blonde off.

"No. These parks don't seem like my type of entertainment."

"Don't seem like? Are you telling me you've never even been to one before?"

"…Going to these places was impossible for me as a child. You know that."

Yang scratched the back of her head nervously. Childhood was an awkward topic with Weiss, so much so that everybody tried to refrain from discussing parents around her.

"Anyway… In that case, you gotta join us! Me and Ruby went to amusement parks all the time. You don't know what fun is until you've gone to one, and tomorrow is perfect!"

Weiss swept the front of her hair.

"I have a curious feeling that this is one of those occasions where you will force me to go against my will."

"Was it that obvious?"

It was now that Blake put down her scroll, having finished talking with somebody. The cat Faunus had a small smile on the corner of her lips.

"The new teams are joining us on Monday."

Everybody stared at her. Ren took his scroll back and put it in his pocket.

"We know. What of it?"

Ruby squeaked.

"He's coming back!"

It took Jaune a moment to figure out who she was referring to.

"Huh? You mean he's returning to make his own team?"

Blake nodded.

"He, his sister and… Adam… are leaving Menagerie today."

* * *

Katil put his scroll away after his conversation with Blake, and flicked his metal arm with a sigh, sending a ringing noise through the port.

The brown themed, cat eared boy stood alone in the port of Menagerie, where residents bustled with life and excitement. It was rather unusual for the area to be this way. Fish stalls had owners, but no customers, as everybody spoke to one another. Large ships sat in place, Fauna leaving and entering them, but nobody was disembarking. There weren't even any ships on the horizon. The wooden docks creaked as people strolled past, ignoring the young boy with the metal arm.

Katil's appearance had changed slightly ever since Thane had ruthlessly cut off his left arm last year. He allowed his brown hair to grow a little, but not so much that the tips of his ears were covered. The sheer heat and humidity of Menagerie led to him hanging his black, short jacket over his shoulders, letting it blow in the wind of the sea, revealing his plain white, sleeveless shirt and bare arms. The metal left arm was joined with the skin where his arm was sliced off, just near the elbow to cover all hints of his wound, and its shining grey aesthetics gleamed in the sun.

The ends of his metal fingers were sharpened, although it wasn't created that way; Katil sharpened them just for the sake of improving its effectiveness. He hadn't grown an inch in the last year, to his annoyance, and his frame wasn't too impressive, which meant he needed to compensate for these attributes in as many ways as possible. Ridges ran across the arm, suggesting that it withheld a mechanism of some kind. When he got back to Beacon, he needed to thank Ozpin for giving him this arm.

"Katil."

Katils' large brown eyes scanned the port, looking for the speaker. He found Adam, walking towards him, through a group of Fauna. He looked incredibly out of place, his intimidating presence catching the attention of many people.

"Adam. Where's Sis?"

Ignoring those staring at him, the man with the black trench coat stood next to Katil, looking across the sea.

"She went back into town to find out what's causing the commotion. Whatever it was, it's the reason for why the captain of our ship hasn't turned up yet."

Katil groaned. He was going to fry if he stayed in the sun any longer, and he liked his current, tanned complexion.

"God damn… this year at Beacon's gonna end before we get there at this rate! Well, for me and Sis, anyway. What are you doing when we get back to Vale?"

Adam was a few years older than Katil and his sister, although he wouldn't enrol in Beacon even if he was the correct age, anyway.

"Well, first of all, I plan on checking how the White Fang is doing without me. I've heard rumours of the new leader being a muscle-bound fool."

Katil paced back and forth, hands in the pockets of his black trousers.

"You regret stepping down?"

"Not in the slightest. There are more important things to me now than the White Fang."

"Like Blake? Like trying to be a better person?"

Adam remained silent. He didn't like talking about Blake, or his motivations in general.

Katil's scroll started ringing from inside his pocket. He took it out and brought it up to his ear.

"Sis?"

His sister's loud voice could be heard by Adam, even despite the noise of the port.

"Kat! There's something weird going on!"

"That's just typical. What happened?"

"There's some sort of rally going through town. You ever heard of that Hephaestus cult?"

"Only by name."

"Well, they're trying to pick up new recruits around here. They've got cute girls leading the march and everything!"

"R-Really? So, where is this thing taking place-"

"Hey, focus! They'll be plenty of attractive girls in Beacon! Did the shipmaster come back?"

"No. Odds are he's in that rally. I mean, 'that's' the real reason I want to get to the rally…"

"Sure it is. Not like it matters. The march is heading for the port as we speak, so just sit tight."

"Got it. See you soon."

Katil put his scroll away, cat ears twitching through his hair. Adam glanced in the opposite direction of the sea, towards the town. A series of small, dusty, yet nice looking buildings lined the edge of town.

"I have a bad feeling." Adam stated simply.

Over the past year, Katil, his sister and Adam had encountered various streaks of bad luck, which generally involved them getting caught up in fights and having to rectify situations themselves. A few months ago, a White Fang squad attempted to stage a rally similar to the current one, and condemned Adam for his desertion as the leader. Not many walked away from the ensuing battle. Even fewer would actually stand ever again.

"Tell me about it."

The pair approached the edge of town. Although roads separated the buildings, Menagerie was home to very few vehicles. Adam swept his hair back, his mask glaring across the area. They couldn't see the rally yet, but voices in the distance warned them of their approach.

"Let's see what this cult is all about."

Adam spoke as he walked in the direction of the voices, letting the smaller boy follow of his own accord. Katil and Adam didn't have a good relationship before the events of last year, both of whom were involved in. Still, spending a year together in Menagerie along with Katil's sister had helped. She had practically forced them to be friends.

They were still moving along the edge of the town and the port when they caught the first glimpse of the rally. Drums beat through the area. People shouted through megaphones. Residents scattered as the leaders stamped through the streets. A variety of bright, eye-catching colours ensured that they were noticeable. This was done professionally, no doubt.

"Can you see Sis?"

The incoming crowd was huge; the street behind them couldn't be seen at all, and the main leaders and recruiters wearing blinding colours didn't help. Fliers and papers were tossed everywhere as it closer.

"No. I suggest we back down to the port. Norn will be fine."

Katil agreed. He would prefer to be left alone by the cultists. The duo was just starting to walk away.

"You there! How can you two walk away in the face of the radiance of Pandora!?"

Damn.

It was a girl who called out to them, through a megaphone. Adam tried to continue his pace, but Katil was shouted out with such force that he couldn't help but turn around.

His sister wasn't lying. She was certainly cute, but her fashion tastes were questionable. A bright blue jacket, a yellow skirt, brown boots and a flashy tiara were the first things he noticed, shortly followed by a golden fox tail. Her long, blonde hair whipped around with the wind as she jumped in front of the crowd. It continued while she approached Katil, who stood, dumbfounded.

"Uh, look, I've got places to be, and joining a cult isn't on my to-do list…"

The green eyed girl looked offended, crossing her arms with a wagging tail.

"A cult? This is no cult. This is the truth! This is freedom! This is Pandora!"

She was almost pressing against his face, making the cat Faunus stand back nervously.

"That's… great. Umm… What's Pandora?"

"WHAT!?

It was as though time froze. It was the fox Faunus' turn to be dumbfounded, as almost the entire crowd stopped in its tracks. It was now Katil who had a bad feeling.

"W-What did I say? It was a valid question!"

Suddenly, the blonde girl gripped his shirt, staring down at him. Her tail swished furiously.

"You don't know the majesty of Pandora!?"

Katil wasn't sure of where to point his brown eyes.

"…Nope."

"The wish granter? The box of salvation? The last testament of Ember the grand fire summoner?"

"Nope, nope, and… hang on. What was that last part?"

Katil was quite serious with his question, but the leader sighed and let go of him, putting her palm to her face.

"You poor, uneducated soul…"

He dusted down his shirt. The crowd had re-gathered its momentum, continuing around the pair.

"C'mon, it's not my fault. You know, it would boon me greatly if you gave me some private lessons… How about we meet up for coffee, and you tell me all about it?"

The slightly taller girl grinned, but it wasn't out of joy of being asked out. In fact, it was a somewhat creepy and obsessive grin, completely belying her attractive and standoffish appearance. Katil immediately regretted his words.

"You wish to know more of Pandora? Would you be willing to join us in worship as we hunt Pandora?"

Katil stepped back in surprise.

"Ah, no, no, wait a minute, I said coffee, not fanatical worship…"

Actually, did she just say 'hunt Pandora?' Does that mean this cult hasn't even found the thing they're supposed to worship?

The girl got much closer, golden fox tail wagging, putting her arms around his shoulders. Although Katil liked to talk big when it came to chatting with girls, he actually had no idea on the art of flirting past that. He had hoped that this girl wasn't completely obsessed with Pandora, but damn, was he wrong.

"You know, us followers of Hephaestus have many enemies. I think a strong, handsome guy such as yourself would be very welcome in our ranks, with a bit of… private tutoring. How about it?"

Katil blushed heavily, falling into a stammer of false starts.

"I,uh, just… Listen, I've really gotta get going. People to meet, ships to board, cults not to join, you know how it is…"

He swiftly turned to leave, his jacket whipping around, but the girl grabbed his metal hand.

"Hold it. You're really hurting my feelings here, saying that you're willing take me out to coffee, and now suddenly leaving…"

Her green, seductive eyes were filled with sadness, but Katil knew better; crocodile tears.

"I… I'll tell you what; I'll look you up next time I'm in Menagerie. (Never.) The name's Katil."

"Cheers."

"Cheers? To what?"

She bopped his nose with a giggle.

"That's my name, silly! Cheers! Next time we meet, I'll tell you all about Pandora, and we'll see about getting you a spot in our ranks. For Pandora."

"Right… Guess I'll see you around, Cheers."

He practically ran to get away from the taller Faunus, forcing his way through the rally. He deduced that the girl had an incredibly obsessive personality, maybe even a mental disorder.

Where the hell did Adam go in all of this? And where was his sister? It seemed like the crowd had doubled in size since he started the conversation with Cheers, which didn't help the matter. Hopefully their shipmaster didn't get caught up in the hype of the event and returned to his boat.

The followers of the cult were wearing enough colours to induce epilepsy. What was it the fox Faunus said? The radiance of Pandora? This might have been their way of symbolising that, although Katil hoped he never understood their minds.

He picked out Adam's dark coat amidst the crowd. Katil nearly had to push people out of the way to get to him.

"Adam!"

The masked man turned, seeing Katil out of the corner of his mask.

"Katil. Time to leave."

"Oh, sure, NOW is a good time!"

The response to his sarcasm was a group of sirens in the background.

"It is. The police are breaking up this rally. A few officers have arrived already."

Looking further down the street, past Adam, Katil could make out a few Fauna in protective gear trying their best to pick apart the crowd. They hadn't started to use force, for now at least.

"Where's Sis?"

"Hell knows. I haven't seen our scaly old shipmaster, either."

Katil growled under his breath. He never had this trouble in Vale. Then again, Vale used airships.

'_This is the police of menagerie. Cease and desist, and allow the residents of this town to return to their daily lives. I repeat…'_

The volume of the police megaphones rivalled that of the rally speakers'. That didn't stop a male voice from shouting back.

'_The residents of this town need to accept Pandora into their hearts, and open their minds! The so called sentinels of peace such as yourselves cannot possibly understand its radiance!'_

What the hell were these cultists even saying? In fact, what even was Pandora? Katil wished he at least stuck around Cheers long enough to find out.

'_This is your last warning. You are disrupting the peace of this town, and it will not be tolerated. Cease and desist, or we will use force.'_

It was all Katil needed to hear. This was supposed to be his last day in Menagerie, and a fight wasn't supposed to go down.

'_The grand fire summoner Ember is smiling down upon us! This is a fight you cannot win!'_

"Ember!?" Adam shouted out loud, uncharacteristically.

The name was familiar to everybody involved in the events of last year, although Katil was scarce on the details. He would have to ask Adam about it later. All he knew was that it was the name of Cinder Falls' ancestor, and one of the four warriors who discovered Dust. She was also the one who sealed Thane in his prison.

Sides were being formed. The followers of Hephaestus slowly gathered on one side of the street, as the police sorted on the other. Adam and Katil stood smack bang in the centre, as a silence began to take over the street.

"Adam. Plan?"

"Back away slowly. There's no need to make enemies right now."

It was as good a plan as any that he could form. Katil followed Adam as they silently and sluggishly backed down to the port.

"Hey, guys! Boy, these cultists are freaking nuts!"

A loud voice rang out over the murmurs from both sides, getting the attention of almost everybody. The two Fauna cast their gaze on the third member of their group, Katil's sister, Norn.

She shared many similarities with Katil's appearance, including a slight wardrobe change since coming to Menagerie. Unlike her brother, the young woman sported a large dog tail which trailed behind her, fur ruffling in the wind. The tanned girl strolled through the near empty street to meet them, with a brown coat the same size as Adam's flapping in the wind, hanging over her shoulders like her brother. Brown, wavering hair sat on her shoulders, with equally brown eyes scanning them. She also wore a black, buttoned shirt perhaps one size too short for her, with brown boots and rolled up, black trousers.

The spring in her step told the observers that she was a very confident and self assured young woman, as Katil attempted to correct her.

"Sis! Don't say that-"

"-I met this one guy, and get a load of this! He said that Pandora was the path to truth and righteousness in this depraved world. What a load of bull!"

The cultists on their left were becoming increasingly aggravated, not that Norn noticed. She crossed her arms and stared into the sky, sighing.

"Sis, for the love of God-"

"-And then, I just met this stupid, crazy girl with a fox tail, and she told me that she just recruited this cat eared moron through the power of the radiance that the grand fire summoner Ember granted to her."

Katil choked on air.

"LIKE HELL!"

"I know, right? All of these cultists are a bunch of freaks!"

Utter emptiness and silence, bar the sound of waves, took hold of the street. Adam cleared his throat and tapped her shoulder. Upon getting Norn's attention, he pointed in the direction of the Hephaestus cult. As she noticed them, Norn giggled nervously, clutching her tail.

"Uh… But… They're awesome freaks!"

It didn't help. Norn didn't have a way with words.

The speaker on the megaphone finally spoke.

'_Followers of Hephaestus! In the name of the grand fire summoner, Ember, and her last testament, Pandora, put them down! Put them all down! Show them our brilliant radiance!'_

The male voice called out one more time, giving the order. The police force, armed with riot shields, tear gas, and other submissive tools, prepared themselves.

Adam took charge just as the cult began their move. He gave the greatest and most complex order he could think of.

"Run!"

Good enough.

Adam wasn't afraid, but he didn't particularly want to bloody his blade today. Katil gripped his metal arm, fingers running through the ridges, under the impression that he would be punching his way out. Norn had no weapon thanks to the events of last year, but after spending time in Menagerie, she had learned to use the environment. When one could manipulate velocity with a semblance, the world was a weapon.

A yellow themed cultist led a group towards the trio, as the rest converged on the police. Many didn't appear to be armed, instead choosing to gather bricks or boxes from the port. The police force moved in, pushing them back with riot shields as batons gleamed in their hands.

Katil ducked under a rushing punch from the yellow cultist, and with a mechanical whirl, he slammed his metal fist into the bigger man's chest, sending him flying through the air. The ridges on his arm glowed a faint orange as Norn kicked up a stone on the ground, aiming it at another attacker, and accelerating its velocity. The stone bounced off her unfortunate victim's head with a clonk while Adam dashed through the multi-coloured attackers.

Adam didn't attack them, but rushed through with the intent of finding their shipmaster, leaving Norn and Katil to fend for themselves. Norn tapped Katil's shoulder just before leaving.

"Kat, let's get out of here! I'm pulling back to the ship!"

Around them, cultists were forced to the ground by the police, but they were fighting back remarkably well. Several officers were knocked unconscious, as the sheer numbers of the cult outweighed their own.

"Fine, I'm coming!"

Katil shouted back as Norn ran to the port.

He only just turned when another, familiar voice shouted for him.

"STOP, KATIL!"

Katil groaned slightly, and glanced back. There was only one person in this cult who knew his name.

"Hey, there, Cheers…"

The fox Faunus with the golden tail stood with her arms crossed, blue jacket and yellow skirt flowing with the rush of those passing her.

"Katil, what on Remnant was that discussion you had a moment ago with the dog tailed woman!? Do you agree with her!?"

She could only be referring to how Norn got them involved in this battle. He put his arms forward and shook, stepping back.

"No no no, she's just a moron! I swear, I have no intention of going against your beliefs-"

Cheers pouted, throwing her arms down.

"You just punched my friend!"

The yellow themed cultist from a moment ago coughed on the ground beside her. He stammered, not sure of what to say.

"That… That was…"

She reached into the inside of her jacket. Although her green eyes showed sadness, her smile told Katil that she predicted this outcome. She wanted to fight for Pandora.

"Aw, it's a real shame, Kat. I was so looking forward to recruiting a new member, and a handsome one at that, but alas, the grand fire summoner despises unbelievers and enemies."

Cheers pulled out a collapsed stick of some kind, and whipped it in the air with a distinctive crack, unfolding it to reveal her weapon. Katil had seen cheerleaders in action; she held a double ended confetti launcher in stick form, almost as tall as her, painted with all sorts of bright colours. Both ends were shaped like the end of a blunt mace, with the holes of the confetti launchers clearly visible.

Katil growled under his breath. This girl reached the end of his patience.

"You know what, Cheers? To hell with it! I was being nice by shrugging you off, I was being nice by not telling you just how stupid this cult is, and I was being nice by pretending that we would meet again for coffee! You're a freaking idiot, and there was never any chance in hell that I would join this cult!"

He flexed his steel fingers, as Cheers gasped, her green eyes swelling up with genuine tears and fox tail drooping.

"Nobody has ever talked to me like that…"

He expected her to be more offended by his insults of the cult.

"Now, are you gonna leave me alone, or are we gonna settle this the good old fashioned way?"

She chose the last option, as predicted.

Cheers was nimble, as expected of a fox Faunus, crossing the distance between them in a few bounds. She spun her baton around her waist with enough skill to indicate that she may have once been a cheerleader after all. The girl pulled the trigger as she closed in, unleashing a gunshot that spread confetti around them, while Katil ducked down and spun with a kick, aiming for her legs. She jumped, firing her weapon and launching over him, bringing the stick over her head on her descent.

Katil brought up his steel arm, metal meeting metal, with the details beginning to glow orange. Cheers fired when her feet touched the ground, gripping the other end of her weapon, swinging it like a club through the coloured paper swarming them. He barely managed to catch it, budging slightly from his position, and tried to wring it out of her grasp, but the end was now pointed in his face. A bang unleashed more colours, forcing him to let go and temporarily close his eyes. When he opened them again, Cheers had vanished from view.

A jolt of pain shot through his body as her weapon connected with his waist, spinning him around. Before Katil could gather his bearings, she had already moved to his right, slamming his gut with a precise strike, and firing, bringing one end to his jaw to knock him off his feet. He was knocked several feet away, and slammed his metal fist into the ground as she ran towards him, spinning her baton on her wrist.

With a roar, Katil scraped his claw on the ground while meeting her, the ripples throughout the arm still a faint orange. He jumped at her just before they came within range, mechanical noises emanating from him, and she swiped back, both weapons connecting. Katil became more aggressive, barging aside her weapon and bringing his knee to her stomach. Cheers stepped back, completely calm and within a rhythm of her own, twirling her stick repeatedly to meet his punches. Clangs and clanks reverberated through the battlefield. His sharpened claws constantly met opposition.

His arm's ridges now glowed red. He had accumulated enough adrenaline. Katil briefly hopped back, swiftly slamming his flesh fist against his metal fist, and the prosthetic arm opened apart. Steam erupted from the gaps while he charged forward, side stepping her rhythmic strikes, and charged through the confetti she left behind.

The force with which he punched was enough to distort the air with a hollow sounding blast. Cheers couldn't even gasp for air, her face twisted in pain, as she flew through the air, all the way back to the port. An entire fish stall came down with her landing, wooden planks splintering and spraying chunks everywhere along with the innumerable fish.

Katil waited a moment to see if she would get back. His arm initiated its cooling down period, as small vents appeared to release the smoke from the extreme heat it produced to power the strike. Until his arm was ready again, his adrenaline was his own.

Under the mound of fish and wood, Cheers leapt out, coughing, although he didn't know if it was from pain or from the smell. She snarled, clothes covered in fish oil and hair untangled, and primed her weapon. Many around them saw the conflict, but were too focused on their own battles to care. It was impossible to decide who was winning at this stage.

Katil ran and jumped down to the port, snatching a pair of broken wooden planks on his advance. Cheers stood still for a moment, eyes burning with hatred, simply observing her opponent.

The first sign that she became serious in this fight was when strips of confetti surrounded her, even though she hadn't fired her weapon. As Katil came within a few feet of her, every piece of small paper she unleashed earlier flew towards her from the street. He swore under his breath. She could control extremely low mass objects, confetti included. No wonder her baton didn't use bullets; the confetti she let loose was her secondary weapon. If enough pieces of the paper were used, she could use them to pick up objects, or the collective mass could even prevent attacks.

Countless colours swarmed the fish around her, and the immeasurable numbers were easily capable of lifting the white meat. Katil found himself rolling through the storm she threw, but was still struck in the head by a fish, and confetti didn't soften the blow. The strips she used swiftly came back towards her, surrounding more objects from the environment.

Katil put his hands on the wooden floor in front of him, grunting and ripping it from the supports, the five planks being thrown into the air. Cheers hurled an abundance of boxes, all of which hit the flying planks and providing an avenue of escape for the cat Faunus. He jumped up to the now-brightly coloured boxes and climbed onto one, using it as a stepping stone to run along the crates and towards his foe.

Cheers dropped the boxes to surround herself with her secondary weapon, providing a multicoloured shield to stop Katil's fist as he bore down on her. She opened up a gap in the confetti to jab at him with her baton, connecting successfully, and closed the gap before Katil could strike back. She did it again, this time clearing a line in her defence to take a swing at him, but her attack was caught by his metal fist. Before she fired, he used it to gain elevation, stepping on the weapon to get over her barrier.

The cooling vents closed on his arm, meaning that a portion of his adrenaline would now power it. He could feel the effects as he dropped in front of Cheers, his heart rate slowing down fractionally. Whether this method of powering was effective or not was up for debate.

Katil resumed his attack, Cheers too occupied to manipulate her confetti, and focused on his offence, not letting her get a single shot in on him. Their weapons echoed through the port, over the noises of every other fight taking place.

Cheers jumped back with a gunshot, making Katil follow her, and manipulated her coloured tools to make a platform beneath her. Before Katil realised her next manoeuvre, she jumped forward and kicked him in the head, before ramming an end of her weapon into his chest and pulling the trigger.

The blast sent Katil across the port, over the water, and into the side of a large boat, just below the railing of the top deck. Growling, the brown themed Faunus heaved himself onto the empty boat. A tall mast sat in the centre of the polished ship as it rocked from the impact a moment ago, with the wheel at the bow of the ship rotating in the wind. A few crates sporting the logos of various Dust companies, not including the Schnee Dust Corporation, sat in the corners.

The third and final act of the fight began with Cheers running on stepping stones of confetti all the way to the ship. Her dishevelled, oily hair hung behind her as she jumped onboard.

Katil grasped a crate of Dust, not that he knew what colours it held, and kicked it towards her. Cheers swiped at it, breaking the box and some of its contents. She squeaked in surprise as towers of ice rose from the shattered crate, nearly skewering her. Cyan crystals scattered across the ship, and Katil put his foot underneath one and lifted it up, kicking it at her while she stepped around the ice.

Cheers ducked under the crystal and sprinted forward, rolling to the side of another incoming crate. She jumped and kicked off the mast, poising her weapon at Katil who lifted his orange glowing arm in defence. Their different steels clashed, and Katil pushed her back, forcing her against the mass, before reaching back and grabbing another crate of crystals.

She made a thrust at the new crate, and jumped back in shock as it was revealed that it contained red crystals. The ensuing explosion echoed throughout perhaps the entire town, as flames burst forth, engulfing the entire ship, and the port next to it. The two combatants fell to the floor, trying to avoid being set on fire.

They both got up at the same time, their visions filled with bright orange, incinerating the confetti that Cheers loved so much. Katil leapt over a gap in the floor that caved in as the integrity of the ship weakened drastically, and Cheers ran by the mast as it began to fall.

She was pressed against the base of the mast by Katil's strikes, spinning her baton rapidly on her wrists in the fire and the flames of the burning ship. A kick to her chest forced her to mount the falling mast, holding onto it with one hand.

It reached such an angle that she could stand on it without gripping it, while it began its tumble towards the sea. Katil jumped and ran to meet her, leaving the boat behind as other crates of crystals exploded with different effects. A stray lightning bolt from a yellow crystal shot past them while Cheers lashed out with her weapon, connecting with his fist, being pushed further back on the platform.

They retained excellent balance when the mast reached a 45° angle, coming closer to its end, and to the ocean. Cheers flipped over Katil with a gunshot, landing perfectly like a gymnast, and rushed with a thrust and another gunshot. Katil was ready, and leaned to the right, snatching the weapon mid-shot, and used it to balance as he pulled it back. Cheers gasped, nearly tumbling over the edge and back into the burning ship, but cart wheeled to her feet.

She regained her balance to see Katil rush her, his metal arm leaking steam, and was slammed with extreme force, the strike warping the air around them, and she was thrown off the mast and over the sea. Firing her baton, she managed to slow her descent and produce confetti that she planned to use as a platform.

Before she could, Katil leapt from the mast, metal fist raised, and barely managed to reach her. He grabbed her ankle in mid-air and pulled her below him. Cheers swore under her breath as Katil raised his fist, signalling the denouement of the fight, and slammed her into the sea.

The ocean parted from the impact. Cheers was submerged completely, even hitting the bottom of the ocean, although it was shallow due to its proximity to land. The ship slowly sank as Katil dived, preparing himself to swim back to shore. He was a decent swimmer, thankfully.

Katil popped his head out of the water, and found the port. At least the ship to Vale wasn't damaged in today's fights. It was most certainly time to leave, and he hoped that Adam found their shipmaster. At least he had another story to tell everybody when he got to Beacon.

Katil was halfway to his destination when an awful feeling rose in his stomach. He glanced around the ocean, staying afloat.

"Hey, Cheers!"

He didn't get a response. Sighing, Katil swam back, diving into the ocean to find her. Cheers was manipulative, obsessive to an insane degree, and tried to beat him to a pulp, but letting her die wasn't something he could do. Obsessing over some fantasy didn't call for this kind of punishment.

The fox Faunus was floating, unconscious, near the bottom when Katil grabbed her. Hopefully she hadn't suffered any permanent damage. She was slightly heavier than him, but he was capable of dragging her to shore. He just prayed that his arm wouldn't get rusted from the sea water.

By the time he arrived, many of the cultists had either retreated or were cuffed. Katil pulled himself onto the port, coughing, which had been partially destroyed in the battles, and pulled her into the open air. Her golden tail was sullied with dirty water, and wrapped around her leg.

Katil laid her on her back, and got the attention of a police officer, beckoning him over. The cat tailed officer called over a field medic as he came and crouched over her.

"She a cultist, son?"

Katil was dripping wet and shivering, but he paused all movement for a moment. He couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her; he didn't know how she got involved with this cult. Maybe she bought into these odd fantasies that could only be lies.

Fighting for a false belief. Katil had been there, in a Faunus revolutionary group since a young age. He was glad he left.

"Nah. She's just a bystander."

"You did good, kid. Leave her to us."

It was fortunate that they didn't see the fight on the ship, especially considering the damage they caused. Somebody here today must have seen it, but no doubt the police would pass it off as collateral damage in the overall battle.

Katil was still dripping with water when he clambered onto the boat to Vale. Many people had already boarded it, and they all stared at him curiously. After a moment of searching, Norn burst through a crowd.

"Kat!? Do you know how much in damages you'd have to pay if the police knew it was you who did that?"

So, his sister saw all of that.

"Good job they didn't pay too much attention."

He walked past, the crowd clearing for him as he headed for the bow of the large boat. Norn followed, jacket swinging on her back.

"Adam found the shipmaster right in the middle of the rally. We're setting off in a few minutes."

"'Bout time. Coming back to Menagerie for the year was great and all, but the place is filling up with creeps, and fast."

Norn leaned back on the railing.

"Yeah, like that girl, she was a little messed up, huh?"

Katil took off his soaking jacket, hanging it on the bow to dry out.

"Tell me about it. I'm sure that's the last we'll see of her, though."

"Don't jinx it, Kat."

* * *

An hour later

Cheers woke up in a panic, and gasped for air, like she was still submerged in the sea.

"Easy there, lady."

She was wrapped in a blanket long enough to cover her tail, but she still shivered from the cold. The girl was lying in the sun, on the wooden port, being watched by an officer. Green eyes wide open, she looked for any trace of Katil.

"Where… Where is he!?"

The officer with a cat tail understood.

"The guy who saved you? He took off on a boat somewhere. He saved your life, you know?"

"W-What…?"

She was stunned. Why did Katil do that?

"Yeah, he dragged you out from the sea and everything."

Cheers was silent for a moment, staring at her knees. An emotion was building inside her.

"That… dumb, moronic, pathetic… brave, handsome, brilliant…"

The officer could feel the shift in her attitude through her murmurs.

"You okay? You ingested quite a bit-"

"SAVIOR! He saved ME!"

Cheers pounced to her feet, brimming with excitement and shaking off the blanket. Her blue jacket and yellow skirt were ringed with water and crumpled, but she didn't care.

"…That's right, he saved you-"

"He saved ME!"

"Okay, I think we've established that."

Cheers paced back and forth, gasping repeatedly.

"When he said all those horrible things about me, I thought I hated him, but NO! Nobody has said those things to me, nobody, nobody, nobody, nobody…"

It had been a long time since the man had seen somebody act like this.

"Please, sit down-"

He tried to put a hand on her shoulder, but was shrugged off. Cheers looked at him furiously.

"DON'T! No, only him, only Katil can ever do that!"

"You what?"

She resumed her pacing in a similar fashion to a real fox.

"He's fantastic, he's brilliant, he wasn't afraid of going against me and my companions, don't you see how brave he was!?" She gasped sharply as she realised something. "He doesn't like Pandora… that's it! I have to forget about Hephaestus! Then he'll accept me…"

"Hephaestus? You really are one of those cult members?"

She threw herself against the officer, staring into his eyes with venom.

"NOT ANYMORE! Where was that boat going? WHERE!?"

"Vale! Let go of me, you nutter!"

She pushed away, deep in thought. Her changes between calm and manic worried the officer. She had a highly obsessive personality, and it was likely she suffered from some kind of mental disorder. Or maybe the lack of oxygen caused some damage. Either way, she wasn't acting healthily.

"Vale… Vale… Vale… Nobody has ever spoken to me like that before… All the other boys just tell me I'm pretty, but they're all so boring… I need him… He's so strong, and not afraid to get rough with me when I started the fight, and he saved me from a fate that he put me in! His heart is more radiant than Pandora!"

She must have been delirious as she screamed at the sky. The officer decided to take his leave and let somebody else handle her.

"Look, just wait here, okay? I'll get someone else to help you out."

He almost sprinted away as Cheers shouted to the sky, gold fox tail wagging from side to side.

"Pandora is old news, I don't need it, I need HIM! WAIT FOR ME!"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Author's note- So, can we expect that board/card game to be a part of the RWBY video game?

And how old is Cinder, anyway?

* * *

'_Mr Ozpin?"_

"Just Ozpin is fine, Caius. I've never been one for such formalities between professionals such as ourselves."

Ozpin sat at the desk in his office, a mug of coffee in one hand and his scroll in the other. The gears overhead turned repeatedly in their typical fixed pattern, and in the morning light, cast various shadows through the spacious room.

On his desk sat a variety of objects in glass jars, including a glowing feather, a dull grey orb, and fragments of a broken mirror, all of which had been important last year. There was supposed to be a fourth object here, a golden sword, but it was promptly destroyed in a pool of lava. Random papers and used coffee mugs also covered the desk.

'_Very well. I'm sure you recall that I recently took your statement regarding the events of last year and of the last century.'_

"That I do. I trust it was satisfactory?"

Ozpin spoke to the detective, who he had met several times to this day already. Their last meeting involved a brief discussion of Thane and what occurred in the past, where the man in question was sealed in a prison. Before that, they had only met as a teacher to a parent.

'_Of course. I simply wish to find out more about the climax of the event.'_

Ozpin tensed slightly. The more he spoke with Caius, the more concerned he grew.

"If I may ask, for what reason? The villain is slain, the danger is gone, and the past should stay just that. The past."

'_You're not a foolish man, Ozpin. You don't believe that at all.'_

Ozpin sipped his coffee, deep in thought.

"You know more than you let on, Caius. Am I safe in assuming that you are investigating Thane himself, and not actually the events that transpired? Specifically, you want to find out if Thane lives still, and where he is located?"

A violent cough burst through the scroll.

'_You saw right through me. I'm dearth on the details, and what better source than those involved? If I can get the perspective of the students present at Thane's cremation, and discover if any soulless bodies were around, I'd be a step closer to finding him.'_

Ozpin had already deduced what could have happened when Thane's body was destroyed, but he was wary of Caius. He wasn't speaking to Caius the parent. He was speaking to Caius the private detective. It was possible he could have been hired by anybody, maybe even the press.

"If you're aware of the fact that some of our students were a part of the climax, then you must have already spoken to somebody involved. Who?"

'_I'm a private detective. I cannot compromise my work ethics by revealing my associates.'_

"For a defender of peace such as myself, trust is vital. How can I be sure that you won't take the information to the press? We have gone to great lengths to keep this information from the public, as some wished to hide their identities, including some of these students. Choose your next words carefully."

There was a brief pause.

'_Ozpin, we are motivated by different things. You are motivated by your burning desire to protect the world, I am motivated simply by trying to line my pockets for another month.'_

"And who is lining your pockets this month?"

'_Somebody just as concerned as you. A member of the press couldn't tell me what I already know. If you grant me this boon, you'll never hear from me again except from parent meetings. On my child's life, I swear that what I will learn will remain confidential.'_

Ozpin set his empty mug on the desk.

"Very well. Come to Beacon this afternoon, and I will try to gather the students involved. Many were hurt physically and emotionally by this event. Do not break your vow."

His voice contained a hint of venom, a trait often unheard of from the headmaster.

'_I won't. See you soon.'_

Caius ended the call. Ozpin put his scroll on the desk, deciding if he made the right choice. Some would rather forget what happened last year, but if Thane was still alive, he needed to be found and dealt with.

"Another coffee, Sir?"

Ozpin snapped out of his thoughts. In front of his desk, a young boy in a smart blazer, sixteen years old, came out of nowhere and stood with his hands in his lap. Glynda's apprentice.

"If you would please, Teedic, and come with me. As Glynda is away for the weekend, I have some tasks for you."

Teedic nodded politely, long blue hair falling over his shoulders. He seemed apprehensive, maybe even intimidated, at the prospect of being with the headmaster, with his shifty blue eyes darting across the room nervously. He pushed a pair of black rimmed glasses further up his nose.

"Yes Sir, right away."

The young boy swiftly left, his low heeled shoes echoing through the room. He was the very definition of a model student, but stated that combat frightened him, hence his position as Goodwitch's apprentice instead of being trained as a hunter. Even so, Ozpin had given him a weapon of his own design, just in case. They were in Beacon. He needed to know how to defend himself.

The blue themed boy returned moments later with a steaming cup of coffee. Ozpin took it gratefully while standing and sipped it. Teedic made excellent coffee, too.

"Let's walk."

Ozpin left, shortly followed by the nervous boy.

* * *

Yang laid down the river. An ace, an eight, and a seven.

"Raise." Ren stated, tossing a few chips into the pot. The atmosphere in the cafeteria could be cut with a knife.

"Call." Weiss met Ren's bet, but didn't raise just yet. There was no need to throw chips needlessly into the pot. A bead of sweat broke out on Jaune's forehead.

"I… call." Jaune gathered his nerve. He had nothing in his hand right now, but there was nothing serious to lose by going in for another card.

"Call." Pyrrha sat calmly and mirrored Jaune's move.

"Call." Nora did the same. Yang flipped over another card. A two. Nothing substantial.

The players glanced at each other, urging somebody to make a move, but nobody shifted from their position. The chips were evenly spread between them, and no one wanted to give somebody the upper hand.

It all came down to this final card. The stakes would be raised. Bluffs would be made. The match was about to become a battle of mind games and guts. Even Yang couldn't deny the tension as she breathed deeply, and flipped the card.

An ace.

"YES! FOUR OF A KIND!"

Nora shouted and jumped out of her seat in glee, flipping over her hand to reveal pocket aces.

"I fold."

"I fold."

"Fold."

"Fold."

Nora pouted and crossed her arms.

"Damn! Why do you guys always fold when I have a good hand!?"

It was impossible to tell how much of the game Nora had grasped.

Yang took the cards back and shuffled them. The group sat at a table next to the entrance in the cafeteria, where a television hung over the doorway. Ruby and Blake had left their seats at the poker table moments ago to gather supplies for the rest of the day. In other words, they were getting snacks.

The television displayed the news, with Lisa Lavender displaying breaking news on a rally break-up in Menagerie.

'_Many of the Hephaestus cult were arrested on the scene. This has been but one of many rallies across the globe recently, and their talks of Pandora have caught the attention of many influential figures. Professor Bartholomew Oobleck of Beacon Academy has stated numerously that no history books have ever mentioned Pandora, and that the cult is spreading lies to garner attention, especially considering that Pandora has not even been found by the cult. He has also demanded to know their source of information, but thus far, has received no answer.'_

Their history teacher didn't believe something until he saw it, not that Ren could blame him. He hadn't paid enough attention to the Hephaestus cult to know about Pandora.

'_Now, back to our original news story. James Ironwood has claimed responsibility for the damages caused by machines on motorcycles last night. The headmaster and military general, known for producing various machines for different groups, has agreed to pay business owners for the damage done to their buildings, and to the mayor for the destruction done to a tunnel on a nearby freeway.'_

Machines riding motorbikes. What a world.

'_Also of note, the young girl chased by said machines is currently missing. James Ironwood has requested citizens to contact him if they see this girl.'_

The screen cut away from Lavender to a clip of the chase late night, where a girl with orange hair waved at the helicopter.

Everybody froze at the sight of Penny. Her goofy grin flashed as she shouted.

'_Salutations, friend Ruby!'_

"Huh?" Ruby and Blake returned, arms crammed with sweets and snacks. The young leader dropped her goods and gasped, pointing at the screen. "Why is Penny riding a motorbike with more skill than Yang!?"

"Well, I never…" Yang put her cards down and pouted. Jaune squeaked as the clip cut away.

"Pyrrha! Pyrrha! That was totally her! The girl I told you about last year!"

Weiss grabbed an apple from Blake's abundance of food.

"Jaune, why would YOU of all people know her?"

"Why? 'Cause she was with us last year when we beat Thane!"

RWBY paused for a moment, with Blake being the first to recover.

"You mean to tell us that Penny was a part of our allies last year? And we went through the whole event without seeing her?"

"I know. Weird, huh? How do you girls know her?"

"We had an incident some time ago with the White Fang. Nothing important."

If Blake said it wasn't important, it was probably true. JNPR didn't question her.

"Sorry to interrupt."

None of the group had noticed Ozpin enter, a meek boy beside him. They wondered if the headmaster knew about the presence of Penny last year.

Pyrrha shot up and sat straight, resembling a soldier approached by a commander.

"Yes, Sir?"

"At ease, Pyrrha. I hate to ask this of you all during your weekend, but would you all be willing to join me in my office this afternoon? Somebody wishes to ask you about Thane, and what transpired at his defeat."

Blake cleared her throat, breathing steadily.

"Permission to speak?"

"I'm not a commander, but granted."

"For what purpose does this person want to know more about Thane?"

Blake was one of those who requested that the public not know about what occurred. Ozpin suspected it was for more than just her heritage, but for her relationship with Adam Taurus, as well. Although she had become more comfortable with her heritage, she absolutely wanted to hide her past regarding Adam, as she wanted to pretend that he didn't exist.

"He is a detective, and charged with discovering if Thane is truly dead or alive and in hiding."

Jaune gulped. He was one of the three people present when Thane's body was incinerated. Cinder had warned him of her suspicions regarding Thane's continuing life, but couldn't bring himself to tell the others. Thane had been responsible for killing their friend, hurting several of the group, and without quick thinking by Katil, would have ruined Remnant. In short, they didn't like to talk about him.

Weiss took a bite of her apple.

"With all due respect, Sir, Thane is dead."

Ozpin adjusted his glasses.

"That remains to be seen. If any of you do not wish to speak with the detective, do not feel the need to come, but your collective inputs would help greatly. And Teedic, I trust you understand that everything we just mentioned is extremely confidential?" The blue haired boy nodded silently. "Good. Let us be off."

Ozpin turned with a swig of his coffee, as the group watched him walk away. The smart looking boy called Teedic hurried after him.

"Sir, what is on the agenda for today?"

"First, we should speak with a teacher regarding weapon instructing for you. Have you attempted to practice with the Gear Blade?"

"Regrettably, no, Sir…"

Their voices became whispers as they left.

* * *

Caius' turquoise eyes were glazed slightly from a lack of sleep. He put down his scroll with a groan, wishing he could just turn over and go back to sleep in his creaking chair. Ever since his divorce, Caius hadn't been able to find an apartment, leading to him sleeping in his office as best he could. At least, he tried to. Between his cravings for a cigarette, worrying about his money situation, and his ex-wife complaining constantly, the detective had become extremely restless.

He yawned loudly and glanced around his office, leaning forward on his untidy desk. He instinctively reached for a cigarette on the desk, but found a nicotine patch amidst the piles of empty coffee cups instead. He slept in his clothes, except for his long coat, and reached at his shoulder to peal away yesterday's patch and apply the new one. His teenage child always commented on his smoking habits before heading to Beacon.

A mini-fridge sat in the corner of the small room, next to a ragged old chair meant for visitors. Caius was about to turn on the television opposite it, but remembered straight away that he sold it to pay for the office for another month. Sighing, he turned on the news on his scroll, while trying to remember what happened last night. He had only just woken up and a post-it note reminded him to make an appointment with Ozpin to learn more of Thane.

Ah, that's right. Cinder requested him and those two kids to leave after that orange haired girl arrived. It was quite a shame. They seemed to begin a fascinating conversation.

'_James Ironwood has claimed responsibility for the damages caused by machines on motorcycles last night. The headmaster and military general, known for producing various machines for different groups…'_

Caius wasn't really listening to the news, and pulled a can of beer from the fridge. His child always warned him drinking too much as well, but he was trying his best to cut down. That's what he told himself, anyway. He sipped his alcohol. The taste didn't do much to heighten his senses.

'… _Also of note, the young girl chased by said machines is currently missing. James Ironwood has requested citizens to contact him if they see this girl.'_

Caius wasn't too surprised to hear his scroll ring, cutting off the news, although he would have been last week. Gripping it, he saw the same number that flashed on it every morning, and put it to his ear.

"Stop. Calling me."

He slammed the scroll back down. The person who called was a terrified parent, screaming about their child. He wanted a job, but he wasn't a babysitter. Parents should be responsible for their own children. He hadn't spoken with his child since the divorce, but if they needed him, he would come running. Speaking of which, he was looking forward to seeing them again.

He swept back his ragged, greying hair and put on his hat, chugging his beer and tossing it to the floor. Nobody ever came to this office, so he wasn't concerned about cleanliness. Throwing on his old cream overcoat, he grabbed his keys and scroll and left for Beacon.

* * *

Several hours later, Ozpin and the students formed in his office. Teedic was present, but stayed away from them, staring at the weapon the headmaster had given him.

Of course, the prospect of seeing a new weapon enticed Ruby, and the small girl joined him in the corner of the room as the others were absorbed in their own conversations.

"Whatcha' got there?"

Teedic jumped up suddenly, dropping the Gear Blade, surprised by her appearance. He stammered briefly.

"Ah, t-this? It's just a sword…"

He cleared his throat and readjusted his glasses, blue hair falling over his face. Ruby picked up the sword, inspecting every last inch of it.

"Nope. The correct answer was 'an extension of yourself.' Yup, this is definitely one of the headmaster's weapons."

The sword was roughly the length of Adam's blade, but thicker and wider. Where there should have been an edge, there was instead a row of small, intricately put together gears. She flicked a button on the handle, just in reach of her index finger, and the gears began revolving rapidly with a distinctive robotic whirl. Ruby had to grip the handle tightly to not lose control, as sparks flew from the cogs. The sheer amount of revolutions would mean that even the toughest of armour would be ripped to shreds. Its purpose wasn't to cut. It was to tear.

"Please, be careful. It's on loan from the headmaster."

Ruby took a few practice swings. It was difficult to control with the swirling gears, like a machine gun with its recoil. Teedic was clearly not a warrior, so she couldn't help but think that this weapon was a bad choice for him.

"You know, I think the headmaster would let you borrow one of his hundreds of cane weapons if you ask him. He had this really awesome one last year that let him make and control huge gears on the spot."

Nervously, perhaps unsure of how to say this, he played with the buttons on his blazer.

"Actually… I think this is a good weapon choice for an amateur. I mean, the gears do all the work for you, so all you have to do is hold the weapon properly and put the edge towards your enemy. It requires less physical labour from the user than the standard weapon."

She hadn't thought of it like that. She switched off the gears, which smoked and glowed red from friction, and handed it back to him. Teedic was only slightly taller than herself.

"Not bad! So, you're not actually here as a student, are you?"

He attached the sword to his belt, but it took him a moment to do so. This was a boy who may not have lifted a weapon in his life.

"No. I'm an apprentice assistant, under the supervision of Madam Goodwitch. In her absence, the headmaster is assigning me my tasks. And I'm a year too young to apply, anyway."

He didn't have much of a personality, Ruby thought. He reminded her of Blake when they first met, quiet and reclusive. Still, she was interested to hear that he was the same age as her.

"Why did you choose to take an apprenticeship at Beacon?"

"Sometimes, the greatest of hunters can be the ones that don't need a weapon. Beacon has been at the forefront of combating Grimm for generations, and I just want to help this school thrive."

It was very much like Ozpin to allow people like him into Beacon, even if he wasn't a real student.

"Huh… You're as much a hunter around here as anybody else."

"That's very kind of you to say." He even had Ozpin's mannerisms.

"So, do you know anybody around here? You can hang out with us, if you want."

Teedic bowed slightly.

"A generous offer, truly, but I'm afraid my work keeps me busy. Madam Goodwitch and the headmaster always have a task for me."

He seemed pretty bored a moment ago, but Ruby let it slide. Either way, he was responsible for his age, but in a different way to her.

"That's too bad. If you ever have free time, we're probably in the library or the cafeteria. Come join us sometime, okay?"

Ruby was somewhat concerned that the quiet boy had yet to make any friends. Even so, Teedic didn't seem to be interested.

"I will keep you in mind. If you'll excuse me, I just recalled that Madam Goodwitch wants to see me."

"Huh? But Ms. Goodwitch isn't even here today-"

Too late. Teedic abandoned the conversation and left swiftly. He was just shy, no doubt.

The detective still hadn't arrived yet. It was professor Port who turned up next, twirling his moustache while walking over to Ozpin.

"Ah, headmaster!"

Ozpin sipped his coffee.

"Peter. Leaving until Monday, again?"

Port was heaving his axe behind him.

"Indeed! Ursa hunting seems to last an eternity these days, I tell you."

"Ursa hunting? Last week, you told me you were hunting Beowolves."

"At any rate, I must dash! Farewell, my friend!"

Port left as quickly as he entered. Ozpin couldn't help but wonder what he really did on the weekends.

It took another few minutes for Caius to arrive. The detective adjusted his hat, keeping a hand in his pocket and walking with a slight slouch.

He cast his deep, turquoise eyes across the eight students in the room. Ozpin had managed to convince them to turn up, even if some preferred to keep their identities a secret. Asking for their names may not be for the best. A nervous or annoyed interviewee would be less willing to share their information.

Ozpin stood out of his chair, and offered Caius his hand. The detective shook it, but the look in the headmaster's eyes warned him of the vow he made earlier. Caius turned around as the students formed around him.

"I'll try not to take up too much of your time. My name is Caius, and all I need is your statements from the night of Thane's defeat last year, which took place in Terra Montem." There was a silence across the room, as nobody could decide who would go first. "…Please, don't all shout out at once."

Ren raised a hand.

"Mr. Caius? How did you come under the information of the event taking place at Jaune's hometown?"

"A source. It's classified."

"It was someone who was there last year, correct? I don't see why the person's name should be classified. We were on the same side with the same goals, after all."

"Nonetheless, it's just my work ethic."

Weiss put a finger to her chin.

"Adam, Katil and Norn are in Menagerie, so it can't be them…"

"…Excuse me?"

Pyrrha thought carefully.

"It wouldn't have been one of the professors, or the headmaster would be aware. That only leaves our criminal comrades…"

"Ah, no, wait a minute…"

Blake considered the three criminals.

"Torchwick, Cinder and… Junior, was it? They also worked with the Malachite twins."

Ren agreed.

"Cinder was the leader of the pack, so a safe assumption can be made that it was her who hired Mr. Caius."

Caius quickly put a stop to their conversations, waving his arm in front of him as though tossing aside their points.

"Okay, enough making light of my work ethics! Can I just have your statements, one by one? Snowy, you first."

Weiss resented the nickname on the same level as Tsundere, as many had called her over the past year.

"Hmph. Where do I begin? We had collectively boarded a cargo train; my FAMILY'S cargo train, where we fought our way over to him as he ran to the front carriage. I was the first to catch him, but he promptly defeated me with the use of cheap, underhanded tactics."

Yang chimed in.

"Was that what happened? I thought he beat you in a fair fight and fractured your ribs."

"That. Never. Happened. Xiao Long."

Caius urged her to continue.

"Smooth. And then?"

"He was able to detach the carriages on the train and escape to Terra Montem without us, leaving us with an exploding machine that caused us to separate throughout the Forever Falls."

Caius was scribbling in his notebook when Ruby interrupted.

"Wait, let me! That's when Claws got his semblance!"

The detective glanced up.

"Claws?"

Ruby grinned.

"That's right! Claws, our fearless Beowolf ally, got his semblance on that night!"

"A Beowolf… as an ally. Cute."

Ozpin cut in.

"She speaks the truth, Caius. As it later turned out, these students had been keeping Claws the Beowolf as a pet under our noses. He was also present in Terra Montem, on the same night that he obtained his rending semblance."

He couldn't dispute the fact if it came straight from Ozpin. He jotted it down and urged somebody to continue. Ren took over.

"We were separated, but we all eventually made our way to the town. Thane arrived far quicker than us, but we had an ally situated in the town."

"Another one? Why did it take you all so long to beat him?"

Ozpin wasn't pleased with the man's attitude.

"You were not there, Caius. Pray forgive me, but I highly doubt you would have been able to apprehend him more effectively."

Another indisputable fact, he had to admit. The students could clearly see the sparks rising between them.

"Sorry. Continue." He allowed Ren to carry on.

"It happened to be Jaune's father. He delayed Thane, but was distracted by a Schnee machine and the villain escaped. That's approximately when most of us arrived via dropping in from airships."

"So, one way or another, you all ended up at the town."

Nora gave a wide grin.

"All of the boring people dropped from the airships. Me and Pyrrha rode in on an Ursa!"

This was certainly an interesting ragtag band of students.

"And how did you end up defeating Thane?"

"I dunno. Ask Ruby. She was the one who did it."

All eyes turned on Ruby. The girl pushed her fingertips together.

"Well, a small group of us found him entering a mine in a mountain, and we jumped after him. There was a fight on an elevator, and our friend, Katil, got his arm cut off. It was nasty. But then, me and Claws went and beat him. That's all."

She was being evasive. This part of the tale wouldn't have a happy ending.

"I need more. Every detail counts." Now, all of the students were looking away. None of them wanted to say it. "Look, work with me here. What was Thane trying to do in the first place?"

Jaune spoke up.

"Well, he had this weapon that could change a crystals' colour. And you know how crystal mines have all these colourless crystals, 'cause, well, they're mines?"

"Okay, I see where this is going."

"Those colourless crystals are a layer in the planet, and he was gonna change their colour to red and blow Remnant to kingdom come. Actually, it wouldn't have destroyed Remnant, but it would've done enough damage to bring the place back into an age like the one a hundred years ago, where the strongest survived against the Grimm. He, uh, wasn't a nice guy."

"Noted. I ask again, how did you end up defeating him?"

"It was kind of us, and kind of because of Katil, the one who got his arm cut off. He modified the weapon to change the colour of crystals to grey without Thane noticing. That's why, last year, there was a few minutes where the whole world was covered in smoke."

Caius remembered that event. Meteorologists were going insane over the cause of it.

"I see. And how was he exterminated? I was told by… my associate… that he was already beaten at the bottom of a cliff, outside. That's not in a mine." Again, everybody glanced at Ruby before performing their respective habits. Jaune scratched the back of his head, Yang played with her hair, Weiss flicked her ponytail, etcetera. "This is getting ridiculous."

"Caius." Ozpin spoke sternly. "This is clearly a difficult topic for them. Do not force them to speak."

The detective gave a tut and turned towards him.

"How am I supposed to find Thane if they don't speak? I need to know what happened, regardless of how they feel on the topic."

This time, Ozpin stood out of his seat, hands on the table.

"Your uncaring attitude is one of many reasons for why they do not wish to speak. How do you expect them to trust you with confidential and personal information if you disregard it as just another fact?"

Now, Caius put his hands on the table, leaning in on Ozpin.

"It IS another fact. One I need to know. I'm not being paid to care, I'm being paid to find this villain, and the first step towards doing so is knowing what happened when his body was destroyed. Did the Beowolf die? If so, the girl should just say it."

"You show no remorse towards bringing up painful memories, so much so that you have yet to even apologise out of courtesy. They have no obligations towards you at this stage."

Caius hit the table.

"What was the point of me coming all the way here!? All of these students met me of their own freewill to give statements, and now they're holding back!?"

"The interview was going well until you blatantly showed your disinterest in their emotions. You had your chance, Caius. Leave."

"This is ridiculous! You can't just impede my investigation like this!"

"I just did."

"Wait!"

Ruby stopped them before the debate escalated further. Everybody turned to her, Yang putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Rubes, he's a jerk. You don't have to-"

"Claws died. We went from the mine to the side of the cliff, and he killed Claws. I cut Thane in half for Cinder, Jaune and Adam to finish. Claws' body was never found."

Caius jotted the facts down, as he turned with a satisfied sigh.

"Thank you. That's all-"

"-Now get lost! Headmaster Ozpin didn't do anything wrong!"

Ruby stopped herself from saying anything more. She didn't like being angry, but Caius was pushing her nerves by arguing with the headmaster. The detective didn't show any facial expression, but his vexation was still clear by how he forced his notebook back into his pocket.

"Very well. I have the lead I need."

He didn't need or want to be here anymore. Flashing a glance across the occupants of the room, he lowered his hat and walked out.

* * *

Ozpin suspected that Caius would be waiting in the courtyard leading up to the airship. Of course, the detective wasn't waiting for him. The headmaster tapped his cane along the ground as he approached Caius, who sat on the pedestal of the statue depicting some individuals from the last century.

"Has your child not come to see you yet?"

Caius chewed on some gum, probably a way of warding off his cravings.

"No. Maybe my ex wife filled her head with ideas about me. She didn't even acknowledge me back there."

Ozpin sat next to him.

"I doubt she can be influenced that easily. Your divorce was not amicable, correct?"

"Not in the slightest."

"Perhaps she is avoiding you so that your ex-wife has one less reason to bellow at you."

The airship was still taking passengers on the boarding platform in the distance. Students could spend the weekend in Vale, if they wished.

"Or maybe she just didn't appreciate the way I showed no care for her friends. Not a smart move, in hindsight."

"Believe what you will. I do not approve of your attitude earlier, but I would say you have found an excellent lead, correct?"

Well, he did state it earlier.

"The Beowolf. Claws, right? There's a good chance that if Thane lived, he would have taken the body of Claws. If he had a semblance, that would mean he had a soul, but seeing as how he died…"

"…He would no longer have a soul. It would make for an excellent candidate for survival. Of course, discovering the tracks of a single Beowolf over the past year is not easy."

Ozpin was right. How would he discover the movements of one normal Beowolf? What if Thane changed bodies? On first thought, the lead seemed to be a great breakthrough, but when put in perspective, it helped in almost no way.

"Looks like I've got my work cut out for me."

"Cinder most likely knew of the difficulties involved. Thane learnt his lessons last year. If he wanted something, he would not put himself in the spotlight, knowing that there are many who would stop him."

Caius couldn't exactly deny his client's name anymore, but he guessed that it wouldn't matter. The last call rang out from the airship. It would be leaving soon.

"He might not even be on this continent anymore, for all we know. He could have found a way to leave with a more suitable body."

"And the task of finding his location falls to you." Both men stood, Caius dusting down his coat. "I will tell you this, Caius. Ruby has told me that Claws was shot three times in the heart. Such a series of wounds would leave very distinct scarring, don't you think? Somebody may recall a Beowolf with such injuries in the local area."

"Thanks for the tip. It's a start, I suppose."

Ozpin glanced at him.

"I hope you will inform us of your findings. We also have an obligation to defeat Thane if the scenario arises."

"I will. Please, pass my apologies over to your students. Claws was her friend as well. I'll find his killer for her sake, and for the sake of her friends."

They shook hands. Ozpin didn't have a fondness for the man, but he respected his new demeanour, and his caring nature for those he loved.

"Take care, Caius."

Hearing those simple words, Caius put his hands in his pockets and left for the airship.

* * *

Night was falling as Caius made his way to Junior's bar, intent on reporting his findings. Maybe Cinder had some more information that she hadn't mentioned yet. But as he strolled through the streets, he couldn't help but be tense.

Caius knew when he was being followed. It wasn't just because of his aura; he could feel it in his gut. A detective's instinct was their greatest weapon, as his mother used to say, although the revolver in his coat pocket was a powerful tool in itself.

He snuck glances in the store windows he passed. The person wore a coat with a hood that completely obscured their face and body. It was difficult to tell their size, as well. They didn't notice him looking straight at them through the reflections, indicating that they were amateurs at this game. He decided to push it a little, and see their reaction.

This time, he stopped and looked into the shop window, pretending that something caught his eye. A slight shift of his eyes told him that the person had stopped in fear, unsure of what to do. A professional at this stage would have taken out their scroll, pretended to make a call, and crossed the street. This person just leaned on a wall until he moved again.

He had dealt with stalkers in the past. If they were intent on getting something from their 'prey,' they would get it no matter how long it took. The only thing that differed between stalkers is that 'something,' and how much danger they would endure before backing down and trying another day. Time to see how far this person was willing to go.

Junior's bar was dead ahead. It was home to many henchmen. If he called them out here, they would be surrounded. Caius continued to check them as he entered.

The club was just as busy as always. Many people danced on the dance floor, many more sat at seats around the edge of the room, drinking, flirting, whatever it was that young people did these days. As expected, Cinder, Torchwick and Junior sat together at the bar, the larger man serving drinks. The two kids were nowhere in sight.

Cinder was the first to notice him, but before she could say anything, she noted his shiftiness. He was watching the entrance. It was clear that he was expecting somebody to follow him in. Torchwick and Junior noticed too, as he joined them, and all conversation between them stopped.

The cloaked stalker had arrived. Caius admired their guts. Junior poured a drink for him.

"I'll get my girls on-"

Junior had to stop mid-sentence, remembering that the Malachite twins no longer worked here. He sighed in melancholy as Cinder spoke.

"Emerald and Mercury will arrive soon. They can follow and engage this individual if necessary."

Honestly, Caius had been expecting one of them to be this stalker, set by Cinder to make sure he wasn't squealing to the police. The person in question glanced at him, and then pretended that they saw nothing and began to walk through a path through several large crowds, disappearing from sight.

Caius took the drink from Junior and sipped it as Torchwick began their conversation.

"So, my greying friend, how was your day of investigating?"

"I found a questionable lead, but a lead is a lead. I'll be following it up around Vale while I proceed with my secondary tasks. And you aren't that young, either."

He actually seemed to be insulted. Junior chuckled under his breath, letting Cinder speak.

"And which of our competitors will you be scouting out first?"

She wasn't going to tell him how to do his jobs. As long as he got them done, she didn't care what order he did them all in.

"The local machine factory, owned by James Ironwood. You suspect him of being one of your threats, so one of his bases of operations may reveal something."

"Convenient. Ironwood actually happens to be in the city."

He was? Caius hadn't heard anything about this.

His semblance kicked into gear. His mind swam with various thoughts and subconscious memories over the past twenty four hours.

'_James Ironwood has claimed responsibility for the damages caused by machines on motorcycles last night.'_

'… _Also of note, the young girl chased by said machines is currently missing. James Ironwood has requested citizens to contact him if they see this girl.'_

'_Penny? Why are YOU of all people here?'_

'_It's simple, sort -of-friend Cinder! I need help!'_

It was odd that the orange haired girl came to this club last night, right after the motorcycle chase. Caius calmly sipped his drink, satisfied with his deductive reasoning.

"So, Ironwood is in Vale? Curious. What would make him come here all the way from Atlus? His machines wouldn't target an innocent girl as they did last night, which happens to be the same night that the girl came to you for help. I believe Penny came to you for shelter, and Ironwood is here for her."

Torchwick was only a little impressed.

"Not bad, not bad… Was that a semblance of some description?"

Subconscious thoughts and memories didn't surface for the average person unless something prompted them to remember said memories. Many people wouldn't even be able to remember what they ate for breakfast. With the help of his semblance, Caius could access these memories of his own free will.

"Exams in school were a breeze for me, to say the least. So, where is the girl in question? And this is just a hunch, but would she happen to be a machine as well?"

"Well, that's obvious from the get-go. Please, divert your attention to the dance floor."

Caius did as instructed. Directly in the centre of the floor, Penny was dancing, laughing, and enjoying the company of others. Her signature move seemed to be… the 'robot.' The exact same move that Mercury tried last night, and made a fool of himself with.

Speaking of the devil, Mercury entered the club at this very moment, followed by Emerald. The boy caught sight of Penny, and threw his hands into the air in frustration.

"What!? Why does it catch on when she does it!?"

Emerald seemed mesmerised.

"I know… It seems she's a natural, for some reason."

Cinder beckoned them over. The youngest members of the group obliged, but she gave another instruction before they sat down.

"A person in a hood. Stalk them. Interrogate them. Find out why this person was following one of us."

They nodded, and set to work with finding the stalker.

Junior leaned on the bar. He liked nights like this, where he and his cohorts simply sat and discussed events.

"Anyway, it's not normally our policy to open our doors to and help just anybody, but Penny was with us last year in Terra Montem. She helped us for nothing, so we figured that we'd return the favour."

Torchwick popped a cigar in his mouth and offered one to Caius, who shook his head. He hadn't been able to find his lighter lately, so he substituted by rubbing together grains of red Dust.

"I suppose that's one reason. The other is that we can assist each other. Believe it or not, we and she have the same objectives."

Caius glanced over his shoulder. Emerald and Mercury had vanished from sight.

"And what objective would that be?"

"Why, the annihilation of an enemy, of course."

"What enemy could you and that odd machine possibly share?"

"Ironwood."

Even more curious. It seemed like the more time he spent with these people, the more interesting stories they had to offer.

"Fascinating. How did she come to want Ironwood defeated? I understand that his machines- other machines- aren't too fond of her. Revenge?"

Cinder was watching the occupants of the room carefully when Junior spoke.

"Get this. It's to do with the cult we talked about yesterday-"

"The entrance!"

Junior was interrupted by Mercury.

People murmured and shouted as the hooded stalker struck Mercury in the face when he attmepted to grab them. Emerald passed through a crowd and kicked for the person's legs, trying to trip them to the ground, but the foe tossed Mercury between them. She stopped herself from striking her partner, but still pushed him aside to hurry for the escapee.

Junior clicked his fingers. On his command, several of his henchmen formed around the entrance. Caius had been hoping for this to happen when he entered the club. The stalker stopped in their tracks upon seeing the blocked entrance, swinging around to find another escape route. Emerald caught up to them and sweeped the floor, knocking them to the ground. She put her foot down on the person, waiting for Mercury to catch up, but silently gasped as she realised how strong the person was, grabbing her ankle and throwing her to the side and through a glass decoration.

The person scrambled to their feet as Mercury ran towards them, greaves primed and ready to fire. He jumped towards them, right foot high in the air, and brought it down as they stepped to the side, making him blast a small hole in the floor. The stalker twirled and aimed their elbow at his ribs, but the counter was blocked with a slight of hand. Mercury retaliated with a flurry of kicks, initiating a series of shots, but the opponent was a firm fighter, using their aura to block the forceful attacks.

A slight pause in his attacks led the person to sweep his legs in a similar fashion to Emerald, and the kick was blocked with a twist of his leg. It was exactly what they wanted. Before he noticed the change in strategy, they grabbed his leg with both hands and swung him across the dance floor.

Mercury was a very capable fighter; the throw was far from enough to defeat him. However, his defeat wasn't their motivation, and the stalker ran for the window, brushing aside Penny who stood on the edge of the floor. The robot had not engaged them, instead choosing to observe them carefully, like she recognised the person.

"Excuse me…?"

They ignored her completely. Junior recognised the fact that the window was an escape route (And expensive.), and ordered his men to reach it immediately, but it appeared to be too late.

Just before they barged through the window, the person flashed a glance at Caius. He still couldn't make out anything about them, but he knew that he was the one he or she was after, for whatever reason.

"Hold it!"

Caius got out of his seat and chased them down as they smashed the window to pieces, dropping to the street below. He didn't like the idea of being stalked at a later date, and jumped down as well, intent on capturing them. He could hear Cinder calling out to Emerald and Mercury.

The streets were dimly lit by Dust powered lights, but footsteps could reveal more than sight. His back creaked slightly as the stalker ran to the right, and he ignored the pain and began the chase. This excitement reminded him of the days where he busted criminals and cases left and right.

His low heeled shoes struck the ground venomously in his pursuit, as the stalker ran through the street. A car stopped before it ran the person over, and the driver hammered on the horn. Caius jumped and slid across the hood of the car, running as fast as his stamina would allow, but he was concerned that he wasn't fast enough.

The stalker looked back and decided to kick the chase up a notch. They kicked off the wall of a building to the right and landed on a car in the street. It happened to be a busy night in Vale, and traffic was starting to pile up. The stalker jumped from car to car, making drivers shout and hit their horn as bystanders pointed and whispered. Caius gritted his teeth and ran between the cars in an effort to catch up.

He or she jumped and gripped the side of a large van, using one hand to stay on the side while running. They jumped onto another van, this time cleanly pulling up on top of it. Caius sprinted through the traffic, keeping his prey in sight. He groaned slightly as they jumped from the van and through the window of an apartment complex.

On the bottom floor of the building, a group of elderly gentlemen sat and played various games of chess, listening to classical music. They jumped up as Caius burst through the front door, immediately spying the stairs and running up them two steps at a time. Both sets of hard footsteps could be heard on the upper levels.

Caius turned a corner in the building to see the stalker about to break into a room, maybe to hide, but they clearly changed their mind and ran again, headed for a window on the other side of the hall. He was tempted to take out his revolver and order them to stop at gunpoint, but they were already through the window, breaking it.

The stalker jumped from the window to the rooftop of a small building, followed closely by Caius. They jumped on a generator and across another building with ease. The detective wasn't spry enough to jump in the same fashion, so made a simple sprint and leapt across the gap, catching the edge of the roof and pulling himself up.

The next building marked the denouement of the chase. The gap between this building and the next was too big, even for this person. Surely they had no place to run, Caius thought, as he stood and continued running.

Obviously, he was wrong. The person would make it to the next building. An old fashioned chimney stood next to the gap, pouring smoke. The stalker grabbed a pipe from a pile nearby, perhaps used for construction lately, and rammed it into the base of the chimney, shaking its stability, before climbing it to the top. A grunt sounded from the person as they got to the top and kicked it, pushing the chimney towards the gap along with the noise of the ceiling and structure cracking apart.

The stalker had fallen to the middle of the chimney while it fell, but regained their footing and sprinted across it. Caius gathered his nerve and jumped onto it as well.

It wasn't long enough to cover the entire gap, but it was long enough for the stalker to jump from the tip and land successfully. It had almost fallen completely when Caius reached the top.

He jumped. His fingers brushed the edge of the roof. Cursing out loud, he had nothing to hold as he fell towards the ground alongside the chimney, becoming tangled in a washing line and somersaulting into a parked car, bouncing off the hood. The impact echoed through the street, garnering the attention of drivers and those walking by.

Caius' vision was blurry for a moment. His aura protected him from most of the harm, but his brain still rattled with the shock. Somebody approached him with a concerned look in his eye.

"Whoa there! You okay, buddy?"

Caius slowly got to his feet. The speaker was a boy with a monkey tail and an open shirt, revealing his torso, also accompanied by a boy with blue hair. Caius wheezed and put a hand on his back, looking towards the building he failed to jump to.

"I've experienced worse than this. Thanks for your concern."

He wasn't lying, but the monkey Faunus still looked worried, although the carefree smile on his face suggested otherwise. The Faunus picked up his hat, which had fallen to the ground, and passed it to the detective.

"No problem, old timer. Just try not to ride any more falling chimneys, okay?"

He and his stylish friend walked away, letting Caius put on his hat and limp his way back to the bar.

Caius took one last glance at the building. The stalker he failed to catch was peering over the edge, as though he or she was concerned about what happened to him. And then…

…The stalker waved at him? Who was this person? He didn't have time to shout his question, as they ducked away and disappeared from sight.

His condition improved as he walked off the impact, still in disbelief that this person got away from him. Maybe this was karma for his attitude to the students earlier. Still, he was being followed for a reason, so no doubt this stalker would show up again in the future. Next time, he would be sure to catch them in the act and outwit them with intelligence, and not allow them to start a chase. He was getting too old for it. That, or alcohol was doing a number on his body. Yes, that must have been it.

Caius managed to drag himself into Junior's club. The place had been emptied out in wake of the event, and everybody including Penny stood by the bar. Cinder was verbally tearing apart Emerald and Mercury, by the looks of it, but paused on his arrival.

"Well?"

Caius sat at the bar. Junior offered a can of beer, but Caius shook his head.

"I've decided to stop drinking, if that's a result. Otherwise, the crook got away."

Mercury pointed at him, still looking at Cinder.

"Ma'am, he couldn't stop this person either!"

Cinder raised a hand to stop him.

"He pursued this individual on the dark streets of Vale, amidst the traffic and wide, easy to escape from areas, alone, and yet his pursuit lasted longer than both of your efforts in this single room with limited escape routes. Not to mention that Caius only started his pursuit in an effort to clean up after your failures."

Neither of them had a rebuttal, although Emerald had a question to ask.

"Ma'am. Do you believe the Malachite twins would have apprehended this person?"

"Indisputably, and with swift discretion."

In other words, they were failing to measure up to their predecessors. Cinder had been putting more responsibility on them since it was announced that they were leaving for Beacon, and they weren't meeting expectations.

"I see. We apologise, Ma'am."

"I also apologise my poor performance and attitude, Ma'am."

Cinder heard them, but ignored them for the moment. Instead, she took a seat between Caius and Torchwick.

"The villain seems to have run you ragged, Caius." Torchwick commented on Caius' dirty and damaged coat.

"Too right. I get the impression they wanted something from me in particular, but abandoned that prospect once they were caught. I'll have to outsmart them next time."

"Adapting to the circumstances and thinking towards future endeavours. An excellent trait. You would do well if you wanted a full time job here, my friend."

Caius had a glass of orange juice and drank it, the drink cooling him down.

"A generous offer, but detective work is one of the few things I know well."

"A shame. Still, I trust you aren't so drained that you can't finish your tasks tomorrow?"

"Don't worry. I'll get it done."

Beside them, Junior was speaking with Penny. It had taken some time for him to find a drink she enjoyed, but eventually, discovered that she liked a combination of motor oil, blended onions, and crushed olives. He personally saw it as a test of his bartending skills.

"Penny, just humour me. Why didn't you help them out back there? I know you haven't got an obligation to help us, but didn't you want to react in any way?"

Penny sipped her 'drink.'

"Hmm… I thought the person was familiar… but I couldn't see their face. I was sure they were a friend, so I didn't want to hurt them!"

"So, they were familiar to you. That doesn't actually help, when you think about everybody you met last year, or even before or after then."

"It's a quantity…"

"Quandary."

Cinder had begun a conversation with Torchwick regarding the White Fang.

"Roman. Have the plans for tomorrow been finalised?"

"Indeed, the White Fang are ready and raring to go. The buffoonish leader isn't willing to lead the attack himself, and requests one of us to do it."

"Not one of us. Two."

Torchwick met her flaming eyes.

"Ah, do you mean what I think you mean?"

"Emerald. Mercury." The pair joined them. "Tomorrow, the White Fang will stage an assault on a major tourist attraction, in the hopes of having their voices heard. You two have apologised, but I don't desire your apologies. In order to prove yourselves and make up for your blunder tonight, you two will lead them."

* * *

Author's note- I was counting on Ironwood's reveal in the early episodes. Here's hoping I'm not being too presumptuous by calling him one of the main creator's of the machines. If you don't know what I mean, look for him in the season 2 opening. Well, this isn't even following canon after season 1, so what does it matter?

Welp, all four of my new OC's are in play, though some won't have significance until later. No more will be introduced until far later in the story, in case anybody was worried about character overload.

Boy, I've gotten so lazy with naming my chapters that I don't actually do it anymore. Oops.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Author's note- *Gasp* Penny is a robot? Who would have guessed!?

Certainly not Ruby, who was watching Penny when she drew her floating swords from her spine in the last season!

* * *

Ren snorted milk up his nose.

He didn't do it intentionally, of course. It wasn't like he was holding a vial of milk and snorting it like an illicit drug while in a red eyed trance. That was what Nora did with sugar, or what he once caught Katil doing with catnip. No, this was purely accidental, and caused by a slap on the back from the groups' new companions, introduced to them by RWBY a few weeks ago.

"Hey, stay awake there, buddy. So then, I started blasting Torchwick away, but he deflected all my shots, then Blake ran in and slashed him across the battlefield…"

Ren wiped away the spots of milk on his clothes, which only got there when Sun slapped his back upon their morning meeting whilst he was eating cereal.

After Caius left Beacon yesterday, teams RWBY and JNPR decided to spend the night in Vale, considering that they wanted to get to the theme park early today. They made sure to take different airships to him, however, resulting in them splitting up temporarily before they met up again in a hotel later at night.

Ren wasn't sure how, but this monkey Faunus and his blue haired cohort who sat with the eight managed to find RWBY wandering towards the hotel last night. He was currently relaying how he and the team became friends, but Ren was only paying half of his attention.

They all sat in the hotel lobby, garnished with cream walls and several tables, with a buffet running across the side of the room. Weiss seemed particularly interested in how Sun found them. She cut off the rapscallion with a raise of her hand.

"I believe we've all heard the story of how our paths crossed. Now, will you grace us with the tale of how you found us?"

Sun carelessly chucked a banana peel on the table after eating its contents, landing in Ren's bowl of cereal. Nobody noticed.

"Well, since you asked, Snow Angel, it was just dumb luck."

"Dumb luck?"

"Me and Neptune just saw a guy fall from the sky with a broken chimney and land on a car, and when he left, we decided to go to a club, then we ran into you guys-"

Neptune slapped his hand over Sun's mouth with an unconvincing smile.

"T-There was no club! It was only fate that brought us together, my sweet! We were totally not trying to pick up chicks!"

Ren picked up the banana peel and tossed it into a nearby bin, as Weiss crossed her arms. As Sun and some other exchange students were spending time in Beacon, they had come across this pair frequently, and like with his opinion of Caius, Ren wasn't too sure of what to make of them. They seemed harmless, if goofy.

Nora was eating more than usual this morning.

"Nora, are you alright?"

She popped a bundle of grapes into her mouth.

"Courf I amf!" *Gulp!* "Why wouldn't I be? We're spending the day at the theme park!"

"…You can tell me."

Nora pushed her plate away. If she didn't want to tell even Ren, if must have been eating at her severely. Perhaps she suggested this day at the theme park to take her mind off whatever it was.

"Everyone! Everyone! We've only got five minutes before it opens! Let's go!"

* * *

Goodwitch finally returned. Ozpin was glad to have some company other than Teedic this morning. There was nothing particularly wrong about the boy, but honestly, Ozpin found him rather uninteresting.

"Welcome back, Glynda. Pleasant trip?"

Goodwitch shut the door of his office.

"Just lovely, if worthless."

"Oh?"

Goodwitch approached, scroll in hand.

"I regret to inform you that both of my objectives are still unfulfilled. My apologies."

Ozpin understood the difficulty of what he had asked her to do.

"Don't apologise, Glynda. My suspicions of Pandora were mere conjecture, after all."

"But they must have been the right form of conjecture. Logically, Ember's resting place should have held clues as to Pandora's location."

Despite the fact that Ember's allies were buried in Vale after the events of the last century, where Thane was trapped in his prison, Ember herself and her children and friend were buried on the other side of the continent. It was most curious, as the diary she left behind suggested that she abandoned her life of adventure for the sake of her children and stayed in Vale.

"Do not fret. If the logic is correct, then perhaps the facts they are based on is skewed. The cult believes that Ember is related to Pandora, to an almost religious extent, yet they offer no proof of this."

"But even so, where there is smoke, there is certainly fire. They believe this for a reason. There must be evidence."

"Then our next move should be to cease the search for Pandora and find proof of its actual existence and its relation to Ember. The word of the cult clearly cannot be trusted. If we cannot, then Professor Oobleck was correct, and Pandora is a fantasy."

Goodwitch wasn't too sure of anything related to Pandora. The topic was so mysterious and odd that it felt like the professors had made no progress on it in the past few weeks, since the Hephaestus cult had been formed. Actually, they hadn't made progress. For now, it would be best to drop the subject and regroup with the other professors to discuss this at length later.

Goodwitch took a seat opposite Ozpin.

"Very well. Has Teedic followed your commands during my travels?"

He sipped his coffee.

"Indeed. And Teedic, please, don't feel the need to hide yourself."

Goodwitch had completely missed Teedic in the corner of the room, quiet as a mouse and with the presence of air. The shy, dark blue haired boy cleared his throat and stepped towards them nervously.

"Good morning, Madam Goodwitch."

"Miss Goodwitch is fine. I'm not old enough for madam just yet."

"Very well, Miss Goodwitch. Coffee?"

Ozpin sipped from his mug and gave a quick raise of his eyebrows, indicating that his coffee was excellent. Goodwitch put her scroll on the table.

"Yes, if you wouldn't mind." Teedic scrambled away. "Headmaster, as for my second objective, I'm afraid candidates with the specified requirements are few and far between. For the teaching position, no applicants demonstrate the combat knowledge that meet Beacon's standards. As for the position of your personal assistant, there have been very few applicants, none of which who show the eagerness or management prowess needed."

"I see. A shame."

"If you wish, I would be willing to relinquish Teedic for you."

"No, not at all. Teedic is not a pawn to be placed at will. He is your assistant, not mine. In recent events, including Pandora and the arrival of many more exchange students, you will certainly need him."

"And what of yourself? Your own workload is equal to mine, if not greater."

"I can manage, if nobody steps forward."

Goodwitch knew he was correct. In the past few weeks, he had managed to handle every single student application into Beacon all by himself. Even so, she didn't like the idea the Headmaster working to the bone, as it seemed like coffee was the only thing keeping him awake these days.

"My efforts will be doubled. Somebody, man, woman or child, must want the position of the Beacon Headmaster's assistant."

"Thank you. And, as for the teaching position, I have an excellent idea for who could fit such a role. Now, let us discuss the teaching schedule for the new arrivals…"

* * *

Eight officially became ten as Sun and Neptune joined the students in their visit to the newly opened theme park.

The entry queue stretched on for as far as the eye could see. People had brought sleeping bags and spent the night here, causing the group to go so far to the back that the entrance couldn't even be seen anymore. A light snowfall rested on the floor, though it didn't affect their choice of clothes, as the sun still hung bright in the sky.

"Do you see anything?"

Presently, yang was lifting Ruby on her shoulders, so that she could peek over the high wall that separated their vision of the amusement park.

"Umm… Rollercoasters!"

"And?"

"Arcades, spinning things, a haunted house, those things that spin on an axis that go upside down, and those things that go really high, and then go down."

Weiss didn't like the sound of any of those. The fact that Ruby didn't most of their names didn't inspire confidence, either.

"Would there by chance by a simple café where one can sit and watch?"

Yang put Ruby on the ground, followed by the blonde throwing her arm around Weiss' shoulders.

"If there is, you're not allowed to go there. You're sticking with us, Snowy!"

She hated Caius for coining the nickname yesterday.

Further along the line, Jaune, Sun and Neptune were huddled together, discussing something entirely different. The boy with blue hair made sure to keep his voice low.

"Look, you need confidence, you're right, but that's not all. Swag, mannerisms, and dialogue, those are the other elements required."

"I see, I see…" Jaune wrote rapidly in a notebook. Sun quickly interjected.

"Don't forget, first impressions are important, too. You blew your first battle with the Snow Queen, right? That's why she's ignoring your rounds. Trust me, change your operation, and try again. This is the perfect battlefield."

"Uh huh, uh huh… Question. What kind of ammunition should one use when making first contact?"

Neptune considered Jaune's ammo.

"You're funny in a pathetic way, and some targets like that. Use that to your advantage while casually bringing up your headquarters of Beacon. A soldier in high places is a desirable soldier."

Jaune breathed deeply.

"Okay. I'm ready to enter the field."

Sun and Neptune gathered on either side of Jaune. Sun gave him an encouraging slap on the back.

"Jaune, you go first. We'll be your supports. If your first attack fails, we'll pull you out."

Neptune put his hand in front of the other two.

"Men, prepare for battle. If we pull this off, we could return to camp as heroes of Beacon! Guys everywhere would watch in wonder as we walk by, beautiful girls by our sides!"

Sun put his hand on Neptune's.

"Right! Time to show the world how much swag a Faunus can pack!"

Jaune put his hand on top of them.

"Yeah! I'll prove to everyone in Beacon that I don't need to leave any closets, whatever that means!"

Sun and Neptune shared an odd glance, with the monkey Faunus clearing his throat.

"Dude, don't make it weird."

All the way at the front of the line, people started shouting. The amusement park was opening.

Neptune gave the final words.

"Men, let's begin! Commencing Operation Babe-magnets!"

The three young men lifted their hands into the air and agreed at the same time.

* * *

The large group of ten paid for their tickets and entered.

Weiss had seen pictures of amusement parks before, but she had never felt the energy of such a place. It was somewhat overwhelming. People shouted and chatted constantly, smells of fried foods wafted through the air, rides were constantly moving, rollercoasters going up and down, balloons and mascots parading everywhere, lights and dizzying colours filling her vision.

Contrary to how she felt a moment ago, Weiss decided to stay with Yang and Ruby, lest she became lost. She didn't know how long it would take to find a friend if she was separated. In fact, as she thought this, Weiss realised that everybody except the aforementioned had already disappeared.

"Yang, Weiss, c'mon! This rollercoaster has a loop!"

Weiss had to grab Yang's arm to ensure that she wasn't left behind, though she suspected that the blonde was keeping a close eye on her, aware that Weiss wasn't used to this kind of atmosphere. Despite everything that she and Yang always said to each other, Yang took care of her and their friends.

Which was what perhaps led Weiss to hold Yang tightly whilst on the rollercoaster. The heiress had experienced rapid motion before, several times when practicing the use of her glyphs, but this sort of motion felt wild and untamed, as though she would go flying away at any second. Surely these seat belts wouldn't hold against this kind of force? What if the carts weren't properly connected to the tracks, especially when going through the loop? Weiss couldn't even look ahead when she considered these questions, but that allowed her to notice that Yang didn't appear too excited, either.

And it didn't get better. The 'Nevermore Drop' was next. Weiss had been dropped by a Nevermore once, and didn't like it then, either. The ride, or death-trap as she called it, consisted of a row of seats attached to an incredibly tall structure of machinery being lifted to the top of said structure, before being hurtled back to the bottom, rinse and repeat several times at varying speeds. Weiss' cries of anguish went unheard as the trio reached the top, which quickly turned into muffled yells as the occupants of the seats, except for Yang, screamed in excitement. How could Ruby enjoy this after that experience on initiation day?

Then it got worse. Yang might have said a sentence discouraging Ruby from going on it with Weiss, who had turned even paler than usual, but Ruby still decided that they should go on the 'Death Scream,' the name of which was so foreboding that Weiss could have fainted on the spot. Nevertheless, she didn't want to leave and spoil her team-mates' fun by making them feel guilty for leaving her behind, all alone, so went along for the ride.

She didn't remember a whole lot about the Death Scream. It was another rollercoaster of some kind, but indoors, and more claustrophobic. Whereas the first ride made her feel like she would fly through the air, this one made her feel as though she would fly clean through a wall, leaving a Weiss-shaped hole behind. The unrelenting speed, atmosphere, and penetrating screams of ecstasy from the other riders made her head swim, becoming unbearably sickening. Only Yang and a few other brave souls didn't scream. It was ended with a sudden drop into an ungodly pit of blackness, at which point, Weiss couldn't help but close her eyes.

And a few moments later, Yang and Ruby ran after her while she sprinted to a restroom to empty the contents of her stomach. It hadn't been a good morning for her.

"Um, I'll go get something for you to drink, Weiss!" Ruby ran off in search of a vending machine.

Yang waited for Weiss to emerge from the restroom. The heiress was considerably less steady on her feet, holding her head and slowly stumbling out.

"Hey, Weissy! You… okay there?"

Weiss leant on the wall for support.

"Perfectly fine."

"Ruby's not here."

"I might have to go back inside."

Yang took her by the arm and led her to a bench. They both sat down.

"Weiss, I know I said you were sticking with us, but I was just messing around. You don't have to go on all these rides, you know."

"And how would Ruby feel if she realised that her friend was not enjoying her time during a day that she and Nora planned?" In fact, there wasn't a whole lot of planning, but Weiss figured that her point still stood. "Is that not the reason for you're here as well? Because you just want her to have fun?"

"Eh?" Yang, at first, attempted to mask her surprise at Weiss' question, but quickly gave it up. "…Sort of."

"As I thought. You appeared bored on every death-trap we survived."

Yang quickly looked around for her sister, making sure she wasn't around.

"I just want Ruby to relax. Our second year starts tomorrow, and since she's the leader, she's probably gonna be too busy to do anything like this again."

"Very considerate. It's what everybody has come to expect of you, a year after our collective meetings."

"Yeah? What did you expect from me during the year?"

"Broken walls, expulsion, and at least one dead ally."

Yang flicked her nose, but both of them quickly giggled, which was almost unheard of from Weiss.

"C'mon Weiss, Ruby'll just be sad if she goes on these rides by herself. Think you can survive a few more rounds?"

"Let us find out. I can't help but wonder what the others are doing at this time."

* * *

Ren, Blake, Pyrrha and Nora had entered an arcade.

All of them had a cup of coins, choosing various machines to waste their money on. Ren took his place on a dance machine, where competitors had lined up to face him in battle. His impeccable footwork led to the defeat of opponent after opponent. In the corner of the arcade, Nora was playing two driving games at once, her head switching between them swiftly.

Pyrrha and Blake chose a less strenuous machine, both of them gathering around a claw game. Blake couldn't be angered easily, but why she was failing to win any soft toys was beyond her.

"Blake, you've emptied most of your cup on this machine. Maybe you should try another machine to win back some coins."

"No."

Her cat-like eyes were fixed on a toy mouse, but every time it seemed like the claw had grasped it, the object fell back down.

"Suit yourself."

Pyrrha decided to try and win some Lien. Her machine of choice was a simple coin dropping machine.

Pyrrha was an excellent judge of timing. She couldn't be an excellent fighter without the ability. So why was she failing so badly at dropping the coins into the machine? She was just dropping her coins onto existing coins, meaning that they were not being pushed to the edge.

Blake had silently rejoined her, and dropped her empty cup into a trash can.

"Excellent point."

"I told you so."

Blake watched her friend miss with every coin. She couldn't help but look back at the claw game, the toy mouse sitting next to the glass, mocking her, taunting her. Alas, she had no coins left.

But Pyrrha did. For now, anyway. Then again, Blake couldn't just steal her friends' money. But maybe Pyrrha would be willing to let her borrow a few coins. Although, she didn't have many left, and they were dwindling, fast. In that case, they needed to win some.

…Win? Pyrrha didn't need to win these coins, theoretically.

"Pyrrha. I have an idea."

"Please, don't suggest using just one slot. All three slots are needed to maximise profits."

"Not quite. Why don't you… give the coins a tug?"

Pyrrha flashed a glance at Blake.

"A tug?"

"Yes. They ARE metal, after all…"

The red head gasped, as though Blake had committed an atrocious sin.

"Cheating!? I couldn't possibly bend the rules like this!"

Blake looked around. No security was in sight, and the only staff member in the arcade sat behind a ticket exchange booth.

"Nobody will know. You get the coins needed to continue playing, and I will take a few so that I could win that blasted mouse."

Pyrrha crossed her arms and looked away.

"Never! I will not fall into your wicked ways!"

"Oh? And how much money did you bring for this day trip? Not a lot, I suspect. I assure you, you won't find any entertainment in this amusement park without the money to back it up. And how would Nora feel if she discovered how bored you are on a trip that she and Ruby wanted to go on?"

Pyrrha shot daggers at Blake, pointing at the Faunus.

"How sinister! Using my friends' feelings against me!"

"I will use any means necessary to obtain that mouse! No rodent shall escape- I mean, I've come this far, so I can't let my previous coins go to waste!"

Was this what it was like to be a Faunus? Obsessing over traits of an animal that their physical features depict?

"Fine! I'll do it!"

Blake came close to Pyrrha, blocking the view of the staff member. The other girl crouched down, concentrating her polarity manipulating aura on the coins on the other side of the glass.

They were both unaware that these arcade machine were state-of-the-art, and were installed with the latest anti-cheating modifications. Aside from being able to tell if somebody is bumping the machine, they could also identify aura spikes, so that an alarm would be raised if somebody is focusing their aura on the machines.

Almost immediately, a red light illuminated the pair, and a ringing alarm was triggered. All eyes in the arcade turned to them, as the staff member reached for a phone, calling for security.

"The narks are onto us!" Blake exclaimed.

"Damn you, Belladonna! I'm on the wrong side of the law because of you! I knew you would just be a gateway to committing crime!"

"They haven't caught us yet! C'mon, kid, I'll get you out of here!"

Ren stopped dancing for a moment to observe them, wondering what kind of crime thrillers they had been watching or reading lately.

"Damn straight you're getting me out of here, Belladonna! I'm not going to the slammer because of you!"

Blake took Pyrrha by the hand and dashed out of the arcade as a pair of security guards came into view. It looked like they weren't aware that they were only being chased out of the arcade anyway, yet they were heading out of sight to make their great escape. They would probably spend the rest of the day hiding in an alley as though the police were chasing them with sniffer dogs.

* * *

"Operation Babe-magnets is a-go!"

Jaune, Sun and Neptune hid in a café, scouting out the field, believing that the umbrella shades would provide cover. Neptune brought along binoculars, allowing the trio to check their targets in depth.

"Remember, if you think the battle is going poorly, send us a signal, and we'll pull you out."

Neptune saw an attractive girl to their right. Fairly short, black hair, no special accessories that suggested a lover of any kind. She was facing away from them, so that he couldn't tell what kind of mood she was in. She was alone, meaning that Jaune could try and take first blood without worrying about competitors or being overwhelmed by her friends.

"3 'o' clock!"

Jaune and Sun checked the times on their scrolls. The Faunus appeared confused.

"3 'o' clock? But my scroll says it's not even midday yet."

Jaune seemed even more puzzled.

"So we haven't missed dinner? That's a relief!"

The concept clearly meant nothing to them. Neptune sighed and pushed Jaune away, pointing him to their right, so that he saw the young woman.

"Just go."

"Oh, sure. I've got this!"

Neptune pushed Jaune again, making him stumble through a crowd, but the blonde quickly regained his footing before approaching the young woman.

First impressions. Okay, he could do this. Confidence. Confidence could turn around any situation. For now, just focus on getting her to turn around and engage her in direct conversation.

"Hey there! Nice day, huh?"

"…It's lovely. Somewhat cold, but lovely nonetheless."

He stood by her side, looking over an edge that gave a view of Vale. He whistled.

"Quite a view! You sure know the best spots in this park. So, if you don't mind me asking, what's a lovely lady such as yourself doing alone in a place like this?"

"Just standing and watching."

"Waiting for a friend?"

"No. Just standing and watching."

…How could he continue a conversation like this? Time for a change in topic. Eye contact soon would be nice.

"I don't suppose you saw the Tunnel of Love on the way here?"

"I saw it."

"Boy, only couples are allowed on the ride, if you could believe it, and I hear it's one of the best attractions in the park!"

"What of it?"

"I was just thinking, I'm alone, you're alone, why don't we go on it together?"

She sighed deeply.

"You truly are desperate, aren't you, Arc?"

…

…

What did she just…?

The woman turned around. It was none other than Cinder.

Jaune's scream could be heard through the entire park. Neptune and Sun watched as he gave some desperate hand signals, indicating that he needed an escape route desperately. He had been unable to recognise her without her iconic dress, as she instead chose warmer, more fashionable clothing that showed less skin. A classy, black jacket hung over her shoulders.

"H-heh, heh, h-hey there, Cinder!"

"Arc. Long time no see. And trying to get away so soon?" She shot a glance at his companions, who were completely unsure of what to do now that she was looking at them. "And to think that you were having such a pleasant time talking with me. I'm hurt."

He gulped. Face to face confrontations with Cinder ended with pain and third degree burns.

"I swear, if I knew it was you, I wouldn't have said all of that!"

"Are you saying that I'm not attractive? Are you saying that I'm not desirable?"

Now she was just screwing with him.

"No no no no! I mean, because of our relationship…"

"Oh, our relationship? Let's take it to the next level. I hear all sorts of unscrupulous misbehavings occur in tunnels of love."

"STOP! I mean working relationship! We're allied against Thane! And I think we're distant relatives, so stop, please!"

He wasn't lying. They both shared the same ancestors, Arc and Ember, although Cinder always called Jaune 'Arc' as a throwback to the ancestor.

"Calm down, Arc, I have never brought harm to you, have I?"

"Wha-!? What about that time you chased me through the Forever Falls on a flaming snake!?"

"That was penance for you knocking me off the train whilst pursuing Thane."

She completely turned to face him. Jaune cleared his throat.

"So… Why are you-"

"-I'm simply here to enjoy the rollercoasters."

"…"

"Yes, that was a clear lie. Don't ask me what I'm doing ever again." She had taken out a piece of paper and a pen, scribbling a note down.

"Sure. I kind of figured you're in a business that wants to stay confidential."

"I'm glad to see your IQ has finally passed your age. Beacon is working miracles if it accomplished that."

"Why do you screw with me like this?"

"Entertainment."

She put away her pen and crumpled the note, forcing it into his hand, and pressing close to him. His friends gasped in excitement in the background.

"C-Cinder?"

She wasn't moving in to kiss him, but to whisper something in his ear.

"I'm glad you recall our partnership against Thane. Call it a woman's intuition, but I believe you, I and Adam will be speaking again soon."

Jaune found himself caught in a rare moment of seriousness.

"I understand. I'll be ready to take him down before he hurts my friends like last time."

She left the note in his hand and began to walk away.

"Good. Oh, and do you recall the Malachite twins?"

The two girls who joined them last year.

"Yeah."

"They're going to Beacon. Watch over them, will you?"

She left earshot, disappearing into a crowd. He was incredibly intrigued as to why she was here, but wouldn't be finding out anytime soon. The note was probably her number, so he shoved it into his pocket.

When he rejoined Sun and Neptune, they could hardly believe what had happened. The blue haired boy's mouth was wide open.

"How… How did that happen!?"

They didn't hear anything of the actual conversation. From their perspective, they just had a flirtatious talk. Jaune shrugged, leaning back in his chair.

"Eh, that was nothing. Just confidence, you know?"

"You got her number and… did she actually kiss you?"

"What, that? It was just a small plant on the cheek, that's all…"

Of course, he might as well try and impress them. He wondered if Cinder had anticipated him using their conversation like this.

Sun hit his fist on the table.

"Okay, my turn! If Jaune can do it, I can, too! C'mon, let's find another target!"

The area had become busier throughout the hour, as more and more people entered the park.

It didn't take long for Sun to find his mark.

"What time is it?"

Jaune glanced at his scroll.

"11:15."

"Okay, I've got a tango in my sights, 11:15! I'm moving in!"

"You know, I think we should stop with the war analogies. Social hotspots and terrorism talk don't mix."

Jaune made a good point, and they all agreed to it. The blonde and blue haired boys observed the girl Sun sighted as he walked towards her.

…The girl seemed familiar to Jaune, like he had seen her before. A rabbit Faunus, short, shy looking, wearing brown clothes that doubled as combat gear. Maybe he had seen her at Beacon, a while ago.

The rabbit Faunus sat alone on a bench, eating a piece of lettuce.

"Thought so. I prefer bananas, myself."

Her brown eyes were filled with alarm as Sun casually sat on the bench as well.

"…Excuse me?"

"Food. We Fauna've got some weird dietary habits, huh?"

Maybe it was just because he was a Faunus, but she relaxed very quickly.

"Right. It's quite a thing to acknowledge in a place filled with humans who are ready to look down on us because of our differences."

Sun hadn't been expecting that sudden barrage. Was she chastising him? He blew the point off with a shrug.

"Heh, let 'em look down on us. We are who we are, right?"

She swallowed her snack.

"…Sorry. I'm just not fond of humans."

"You came to the wrong place, don't you think?"

"But my disdain for them doesn't mean I should have to segregate myself from these places."

"And what if humans suddenly looked your way and pointed at your ears, laughing all the while?"

She was in deep thought for a moment, but her ears then drooped over her face.

"I… I suppose I would run away and cry in a corner somewhere."

That was anticlimactic. Sun had been expecting her to make a proud statement about ignoring them. Still, this was a good opportunity for a breakthrough.

"Stick with me. I'll show you a good time in this place, no matter what any humans might say."

"No."

It was a sudden decline of his invitation.

"Um… Just like that?"

She hadn't shown any sign of anger or frustration. All he could see from her was melancholy.

"I can see your friends, watching from the table. You're trying to impress them by flirting with me, right?"

Sun was lost for words. He hadn't been trained to deflect this kind of counter-assault.

"No, no, I'm dead serious, I want-"

"-You don't care about me! You only care about your stupid macho track record! Katil might only have been interested in me out of pity, but at least he cared! You're despicable!"

Before he could regain his momentum, the rabbit Faunus stood and slapped him across the face. Jaune and Neptune winced in pain as the girl stormed away, leaving some people to laugh at him and his tail as he made his way back to them.

Neptune giggled like a school girl.

"It's totally visible! That's not coming off today, I'm telling you!"

Sun took his hand off the slap mark. She was stronger than she looked, as the burning red hand print was seared into his cheek. He put his head on the table, trying to ignore the humans behind him. They slowly dispersed when they saw that he wasn't alone.

"Okay, okay, not my finest moment."

Jaune observed the rabbit Faunus as she disappeared.

"Did she say something about Katil?"

Sun didn't care. He brought his head up to look at Neptune.

"Okay, your turn, Neppy. If you fail, that means Jaune's way better at picking up chicks than us. Basically, don't mess this up, got it?"

Neptune smiled with a cross of his arms. A twinkle shone appeared in his teeth.

"No worries! And I've already got someone in my sights, 1 'o' clock."

"Dude, get a watch, seriously."

Neptune rose from his seat and strolled away with a spring in his step.

The tanned girl with red eyes and mint coloured hair noticed Neptune. She wore a white short jacket with deep pockets over a shirt that exposed her midriff. Her appearance gave the impression of a nimble thief.

"Can I help you?" The girl asked politely.

Neptune leaned against a white wall, having to raise his voice slightly over the sound of others nearby.

"A question, if you will."

"…Sure." She seemed sceptical of his odd attitude.

"What in the world is a lovely girl such as yourself doing alone in a place like this?"

Suavity was all he needed. The red eyed girl smiled nicely, appreciative of the compliment.

"Just meeting a friend. And what is a handsome young man such as yourself doing here?"

Neptune flashed his smile.

"Getting a feel for the latest craze in Vale. And if every girl around here is as cute as you, I might make this park my regular hanging out spot."

She closed in with a chuckle, allowing him to catch the scent of her perfume.

"And if every man around here is as headstrong, kind and attractive as you, I might be highly inclined to come here more often." She swiftly scribbled something on a piece of paper, and put it into his pocket.

"W-Whoa there…"

"Give me a call, won't you?"

She walked away with a satisfied smirk. Neptune couldn't believe his luck. That was WAY easier than he thought it would be.

Sun gave a clap as Neptune returned.

"Not bad my friend, not bad. And in record time, too."

The suave boy took his seat, throwing his feet onto the table casually.

"What can I say? Being cool is a key element."

Sun shrugged to himself.

"Just not my day, I guess. So come on, both of you, get the numbers out and give the girls a call."

Neptune wasn't sure about calling the girl so quickly, seeing as it would make him seem desperate, but it wouldn't hurt to save the number on his scroll for later.

"Hang on, hang on…" Neptune reached into his pocket. It felt curiously empty. "Wait, where's my wallet…. AAAGGGHH!"

* * *

Emerald tossed Neptune's wallet into the air several times before stuffing it in her jacket pocket. What a moron.

* * *

Neptune put his head on the table. The note the girl gave him only stated that putting your possessions in your inner coat pockets was safer than in your trouser pockets.

"Alright, that was just bad luck! I didn't think she was a pickpocket!"

Sun turned to Jaune.

"Okay Jaune, you're our last hope to save this operation. So long as the number you got is genuine, our sacrifices weren't in vain."

Jaune therefore acknowledged that the operation was a failure. He most certainly wasn't calling Cinder.

…Actually, didn't Jaune already have Cinder's number on his scroll? It was the only way they could contact each other if they needed to discuss Thane. In that case, what did Cinder give to him?

With an ominous feeling, Jaune withdrew Cinder's note and checked it.

"Guys… Guys!" Both of them stared at him. "We need to find everybody and get out of here, right now!"

* * *

The attack began at midday on the dot. There were still a few minutes to kill before Emerald and Mercury called in the White Fang.

Emerald never got nervous. Nerves made a person hesitate, which led to mistakes, and in most cases, being caught with your hand in somebody's pocket. But even so, the thought that Cinder could be anywhere, watching and judging her and Mercury's leadership abilities, filled her with dread. Cinder could be anywhere, silent as a shadow, with not even the most skilled hunter being able to find her. It wasn't like she would be in the open for anybody to approach and talk to her.

"Quite a place. Find any suckers?"

Mercury paved his way through a crowd and walked by her side.

"I wasn't actively seeking anybody, but there was one annoying boy who came up to me. Generally, I'm not a fan of boys who just get in a girl's face and blatantly flirt with them."

"So, that's where I've been going wrong."

They passed a Ferris wheel. Couples and families were being loaded into carriages before it began to spin again.

"How are the entrances looking?"

Mercury took out his scroll, showing a map of the park. Four entrances had been marked, all of them involving climbing over the high wall that surrounded the park.

"They're all secure. The squads will be in position soon. Which means that all we have to do is send the signal at midday."

They passed a father and a child. Emerald noted that the father was armed with a blade on his belt.

"It seems that some civilians are armed."

"Yeah, I saw. Even in a place like this, you never know what could go wrong, I guess. Doesn't matter, we've got numbers on our side, not to mention us, so what's the worst that could happen today?"

"You just had to say it, didn't you?"

"Oh, come on, there's no such thing as jinxing."

They were silent for a moment, until they passed an arcade.

A boy with a pink stripe in his hair stood atop a dance machine, in plain view of everybody outside. A crowd had formed around him, some people mesmerised by his sheer skill. Next to him, a challenger crawled away, battered and broken, as the champion crossed his arms, staring outside.

"…Next."

The crowd slowly backed away, nobody brave enough to face him in a dance battle.

Emerald had only looked away for a second. In that time, Mercury had managed to disappear.

"Hey! There's only one king of dance in these parts!"

Mercury had jumped to the front of the crowd, pointing at himself. They gasped as Ren looked down on him, face angled upwards to make him look like the superior dancer.

"That's right. Me."

The crowd gasped again, and began to urge him to step up to the plate. Mercury cracked his knuckles with a smirk.

"Heh, you asked for it!"

Mercury jumped next to him, slamming the machine to bring up its track list. Ren scrolled through the music available.

"Pray? I Burn? Take your pick."

Mercury flicked his hair with a smile.

"Red like Roses…" The audience waited for him to finish. "…Both parts…" Some chattered in shock. "…At double speed."

A woman screamed at the back of the crowd before fainting. Ren stepped back, surprised by his choice.

"Double speed… You're insane!"

The R&R double speed challenge was a task created only for masters and masochists. Even the creators couldn't score a perfect percentage.

"What's wrong? Losing your nerve? I knew you wouldn't have the guts-"

"-I accept your challenge."

The crowd fell silent as Ren scrolled to the bottom of the track list, all the way to the 'impossible' section, and selected the challenge for two players.

Mercury gritted his teeth. He had been counting on the champion's courage failing, but now that push came to shove, he had no choice but to play the game.

They both took their positions, identical with their right foot forward and heads hung low in the shadows. The next moment, they became blurs, elegantly slamming their feet on the arrows in perfect synchronisation, indicators on the screen flashing with 'perfect.' Their movements were unparalleled, their footwork was precise, their spins, sidesteps, jumps, everything was perfect.

But now came the second half of the song. Sudden pauses in the build-up would throw off amateurs, especially coming off of the first part, but these dancers were far beyond amateurism. The song finally started for real. Their skill would now be tested.

Nobody expected Ren to make the first fault. As the beats of the sped up song hit their stride, Ren had taken a false step, failing to hit the top right arrow after a spin. People cheered, some desiring the champion to fall and for the challenger to take his place.

"Ren rules! The handsome guy sucks!"

To their right, Nora began to cheer for Ren. Mercury couldn't help but notice the attractive girl, which obviously signalled his downfall.

Mercury swore under his breath as he failed to hit an arrow on his right in time, resulting in a 'bad' to pop up in his screen. In his haste to regain his footing, he managed to score another bad mark, which was equivalent to missing a step.

The song ended, both of them panting for breath. A yellow 'Tie!' was shown on each of their screens, with the score of 99% underneath both.

"Well played, my friend."

Mercury leaned on the machine and offered his hand to Ren. The other boy shook it.

"It seems we are evenly matched. Until next time, of course."

With a chuckle, Mercury stepped down from the machine, as the crowd burst into applause and clapping. Although nobody had won, seeing the song through to its completion with near perfect scores was an accomplishment few would ever see.

Emerald had seen the entire game. Mercury dusted down his clothes as he rejoined her.

"Damn his cute friend! I could've got a perfect score on that!" She was crossing her arms, not looking impressed. Instead of talking, she took out her scroll and showed him the time. 11: 58. "Ah, knew I was forgetting something important."

"A part of me wishes Cinder was here to see that. We're about to embark on a dangerous mission, and you goof off."

"Hey, the mission begins at exactly midday. We're right on time."

"Let's just get to the vantage point and call them in."

As the criminal apprentices set off for the centre of the park, a blonde boy ran past, aiming for Mercury's dancing rival.

"Ren! Nora! Where is everyone!?"

So, his name was Ren. Mercury would remember the name.

* * *

"Jaune? Why the panic?"

Jaune was quickly joined by Sun and Neptune. A few civilians gave them quick glances as Jaune spoke hurriedly.

"Cinder! She gave me a tip-off that this place is about to get real dangerous, real fast!"

He passed a note to Ren, who read it for Nora, who came to his side, to hear.

"'The White Fang is about to seize the area. I suggest you leave quickly, Arc.' Hm. That sounds rather unfortunate."

If Cinder gave this to Jaune, it was purely because she didn't want him to suffer an accident during the aforementioned siege, possibly out of respect for their allegience last year.

"C'mon, we need to get everybody-"

"-We need to contact the police, Jaune."

"The police are gonna get here as soon as it starts, anyway! We just have to find our friends and leave before we're caught up in this mess."

Sun interjected.

"Hang on, we're the only ones that know what's about to happen, and you want to leave? Like hell! Let's get ready to fight back!"

"It's a siege. They've gotta have huge numbers if that's the case, and numbers like that outweigh ours."

"Hey, I took on these White Fang creeps before, maybe about ten-to-one or something, and I came out fine. We can protect these people, no problem."

"Again, it's a siege. They'll have plans, they'll have equipment, they'll have everything done to the letter."

Neptune quickly stood between them.

"Guys, guys, calm down. Everyone has valid points, but we need to make a decision, and fast. We don't know how long we've got until it starts. I suggest we find the White Fang first. They'll have their stupid uniforms on, right?"

Who would have guessed that Neptune would be the voice of reason? Ren paced back and forth.

"Everybody here is about to be in danger. Jaune, did it seem as though Cinder herself would be participating in this?"

"I don't know, she didn't look like she was preparing for anything. Maybe she's just here to watch."

Their conversations were cut short. Screams erupted nearby. Jaune, Ren, Nora, Neptune, and Sun dashed out of the arcade in time to see the beginning of the siege. Jaune was right. Their numbers were enormous.

White Fang members easily pounced over the walls, blades and guns in hand, storming through the park in a premeditated fashion with heavy footsteps echoing through the park. A squad of dog Fauna took positions near the Ferris wheel, disarming civilians if they were armed and tying their arms behind their back. Other squads, denoted by their animal traits moved in packs to their destinations, attacking security guards and taking more hostages.

"What the hell is their goal? Think they're gonna try and demand ransom?" Neptune asked. Ren, through the screaming and fleeing crowds, tried to spot the leaders.

"It's the only logical conclusion that can be drawn. This is most likely to gain rights and prove superiority."

It was the only thing that the White Fang had ever wanted. Sun climbed to the top of the arcade, peering over the masses.

"Huh!? Hey, Neppy, you want your wallet back?"

"Of course!"

"Take out one of the leaders, and you're gold."

"You don't mean…?"

The crowd had become a shrivelled mess of citizens, cowering in fear as members of the White Fang passed them. The entire group could now see Mercury and Emerald, joined by a White Fang spokesperson. They stood on a platform next to the Ferris wheel, giving them a wide view of the park.

Mercury whispered to the spokesperson, a woman with a wolf tail wearing a sleeveless variant of the White Fang uniform.

"Quick and clean, just as your boss wanted it. Go on, give your demands."

The woman stepped forward, megaphone in hand. Overhead, a police helicopter had already arrived, having responded quickly to the loud event.

"Town of Vale, do you have any idea how many people are under our thumb right now? Enough to ensure that you listen to us, because all of their lives are at our mercy!"

Her voice echoed through the park. The group of five stood at the back, not yet brought into submission by the patrolling White Fang. Jaune gulped.

"Too late to find everybody else. Guys, we've gotta do something, fast! How can we stop this?"

"Break their… Nah, I need something new to say." Nora murmured to herself. Ren ignored her.

"We don't know if the police will give into their demands, but if they don't, the area will get bloody. We need to strike soon…"

"…But we're completely outnumbered and if we fight, innocents could get hurt." Jaune finished the sentence. Neptune thought of a plan.

"Maybe we can just get their attention, then draw them to a secluded area of the park."

Jaune liked the idea, but if they were stuck in a corner, they were finished.

"The five of us could split up, and try to find the others to fight alongside with."

The other half of the friends were in completely unknown locations. Wherever they were, Jaune doubted that they had allowed themselves to be subdued, and seeing as how nobody was dead yet, it probably meant that they were in hiding. Sun hopped down next to them.

"If we raise a ruckus, our buddies oughta come help us, and if we hold out, we can distract the freaks and let the police do their thing."

Combining their ideas, they had formed a semi-decent but risky plan. Execution would be the deciding factor.

Back at the Ferris wheel, the Faunus began to announce the desires of the White Fang. Mercury nudged Emerald.

"Twenty Lien says they want equal rights or something like that."

"Fifty says they want money."

As it would turn out, neither would be getting paid. The spokesperson called out to the police helicopter, whilst police sirens sounded out in the background.

"We want Pandora! We will hold this park down for as long as necessary until the item is brought to us!"

"Huh?"

"You what?"

Emerald and Mercury's surprised expressions went unnoticed. They had planned this siege overnight, but never asked for why the White Fang wanted it.

"For each day that passes without Pandora in our hands, one more will be added to the body count! Don't test us!"

The criminal apprentices were silent, as was everybody else in the park.

At the back of crowds, the group had knelt down behind an alley to avoid detection. Ren knew the name Pandora.

"Pandora again… It's becoming a big hit, recently."

"Tell me about it. I thought I'd stop hearing the name after leaving Menagerie."

That wasn't any of the five who spoke. They all turned around to be greeted with three familiar faces. Jaune almost shouted in surprise.

"Katil!? Where did you even…!?"

Katil, Norn and Adam had joined them, crouching behind the group and getting an eye on the situation. The cat Faunus punched Jaune in the arm.

"You were all going to an amusement park and you didn't invite us!? Well, consider me insulted."

Norn pouted.

"I know, right? Kat's a person you can take or leave, but you didn't even think about me? Hmph!"

Adam poised himself next to Jaune.

"Arc. Been well?"

"I could've done without being caught up in a siege, but that's life, right?"

"That's one way to look at it."

"By the way, Cinder's here. And, just throwing it out there, we need to talk about Thane."

"Fantastic. We can have our discussions later. For now, we'll focus on the task at hand. Follow my lead, and be ready to draw your blade, Arc. Together, we can save these people."

"Huh?"

Adam immediately took control of the situation. The spokesperson had become background noise at this stage, until Adam stepped forward.

The masked Faunus had come out of his hiding place, hands at his side, and whistled towards the leaders. The White Fang all turned their attention towards him.

"…What a pathetic ragtag band of fools I left behind."

Only the sound of the wind could be heard. He was inviting them to line up and get their asses kicked.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Author's note- It occurred to me in the last episode that Adam's mask can be taken off. If he isn't half Grimm, what the hell is his Faunus trait?

Well, that fight against the Paladin certainly kicked ass, at any rate. Time to measure up, I guess.

* * *

Kill or spare?

The question played on Adam's mind as he stood in the middle of the theme park, fingers firmly placed on his sword's hilt. On the one hand, the White Fang had just threatened to kill an innocent person for each day that Pandora doesn't cross their palms. On the other, he didn't particularly enjoy gutting his enemies as he used to. Some of these White Fang might not agree with their leader, and are just following orders, or might not even want to fight at all.

"Adam bloody Taurus!? Where did he even come from!?"

The female, sleeveless White Fang spokesperson, acting as the leader of the group in the theme park, shouted at some of her subordinates. They shrugged, as Emerald and Mercury prepared their weapons, anticipating a fight.

Adam stepped forward slowly.

"I go away for one year, and you've devolved into a group of morons. Public displays of force like this will only serve to make you an easier target for the police and hunters. Fighting from shadows allows you to make statements and eliminate targets while remaining hidden. It seems I was the only one with an ounce of intellect back in the day."

"Hey!" Norn shouted from behind the cover of a building, with Jaune, Ren, Katil, Nora, Sun and Neptune. She was Adam's right hand when they both belonged in the White Fang.

The head of the White Fang sighed sadly, silver streaked wolf tail swinging from side to side.

"Why did you leave, Boss? We all wanted you to stay." She called out through a megaphone. The White Fang hadn't become aggressive yet, even in the face of his insults.

"What you wanted was irrelevant. I left because I couldn't stand to be a part of pointless bloodshed anymore."

"What was so pointless about it!? You made us this way, Boss! Everything we've ever done, we've done because you made the White Fang an indomitable force. How can you just make us what we are and then turn your back on us because we utilise bloodshed? Speak sense, Boss!"

Adam fell silent. It was difficult to form a response to this.

Fortunately, it was Norn who spoke next. She jumped from the hiding spot and landed next to him, pointing at the leader.

"He changed his mind! All the people that we used to hurt and torment were innocent, most of the time, anyway. We were no better than animals."

The sleeveless leader growled.

"How else are we supposed to get our desires from humans? They discriminate, we retaliate. We could have made shirts out of that slogan."

Adam had enough.

"Not all humans are the same. Not all Fauna are the same. Not all mindsets are the same. Nobody in the White Fang can understand that, so I left. Last year, I met people who didn't care about my heritage, people who even respected me for my skill. We were equal. Therefore, I didn't need the White Fang. That is all."

He could feel melancholy from the leader.

"I'm sorry. Really sorry. Adam Taurus, to me, you'll always be Boss. But right now, our 'other' Boss wants us to obtain Pandora this way, and if you're against us, that makes you an obstacle in our path."

Adam would spare them. It wouldn't be fair to kill these soldiers.

"I'm sorry as well, but I can't let you carry on with this plan."

"I see. Let's get this over with. The sooner you're dead, the sooner I can start drinking to forget it."

Adam's lips formed a smirk.

"…Like you can lay a finger on me. Arc, showtime! The leader is mine!"

Jaune and the rest of the group brandished their weapons as Adam dashed forward, jumping and kicking a White Fang member in the head, and jumping from their falling body to reach the wolf tailed leader. She dropped her megaphone and poised her tail at him as he closed the distance, equipping a pair of metal tonfas and retrieving a small gadget from her pocket.

The silver streaks running across her tail were not a part of her colour scheme. They were strips of metal, a cleverly disguised weapon, ending at the tip of the appendage. Her weapon burned red with a flick of her simple, black device, and as Adam readied his blade for a swift slash, she flipped backwards, tail whipping at him. A stream of flame, just like flame produced by Dust, flew towards him at high speed. Adam growled as he brought up his sheathed sword and staggered from the blast.

Mercury and Emerald were smart enough to know that facing Adam in battle was a rather silly idea. Better to let the wolf Faunus get her ass handed to her, as Mercury eloquently mumbled to himself. Instead, they set their sights on the group of students engaged with the rest of the White Fang. They still had a responsibility to the Fauna, as the ones who planned this jaunt, and they needed to see to it that their objective was completed.

The criminal apprentices jumped down from the front of the Ferris wheel, weapons primed. Civilians screamed as gunshots erupted and blades clashed. Many were tied, but they could still run, proving to be a distraction for the combatants.

Jaune wished that Adam hadn't left them to fight the leader. He and his current allies were vastly outnumbered from all sides, and these civilians didn't help. They were as numerous as their opponents. Surging with adrenaline, Katil roared and smashed his steaming metal fist against a large, muscled rhinoceros Faunus, sending him flying into a popcorn stand.

"Jaune, plan? There's too many, even for us!"

Jaune planted his feet into the ground and raised his shield, blocking the attacks of two opponents. Norn snatched a coin from the ground and flicked it at one attacker, accelerating it with such speed that the impact broke through his mask and knocked him to the floor, unconscious. Jaune lunged forward, shield raised, and forced the second attacker against a wall, before bringing the shield up and slamming it against his head.

He turned around to see the dire situation. They were outnumbered three to one, and a pair of new enemies had joined the fray.

"Guys, we've gotta run and find the others!"

Everybody had heard him, but some were too occupied to follow the command. Nora slammed the ground with her hammer, creating a pink blast that knocked a group to the floor, and turned around with a swing, knocking another foe into out of the amusement park. Now, Emerald attacked, nearly decapitating her with bladed guns.

Ren was joined in single combat as well, by Mercury. They struck with their palms to start with, their hands meeting. Mercury circled to strike with his elbow, but Ren had performed the same manoeuvre, making their joints connect. They stood for a moment, staring at each other.

"We meet again! How've you been in the past ten minutes since we last saw each other?"

Ren calmly withdrew and took a martial arts stance.

"Somewhat in disbelief that a person I was just dancing against is a key member of this siege."

Mercury bounced on his feet, staying active and wary of sudden attacks.

"Hey now, nobody can be judged with a single glance. Personally, I didn't think you'd try and fight a losing battle against all these White Fang members. You seemed a bit smarter than that."

Ren slightly leaned to the left, avoiding a sword stroke by a hair, and thrust his palm into a Faunus, making him scatter across the ground with a thud.

"This battle can be won. But to do so, your defeat will be needed. My apologies."

"Heh, don't be sorry. All we can do is play the cards we're dealt to complete our goals, no matter who we're playing against. I'm Mercury, by the way, Mercury Black. Here's hoping I don't beat you so badly that we can't play DDR again."

It was an odd kind of rivalry that had formed between them. They both respected the other, and Ren agreed with everything he had said, except for fighting a losing battle, of course. They both bowed.

"Lie Ren. Ditto."

As Ren and Mercury began their battle next to the Ferris wheel, Sun decided to take flight and find the others, as Jaune had commanded. The monkey Faunus jumped on a foe's head and climbed to the top of the arcade, scouting the area. Gunfire could be seen on the other side of the park.

"Guys! The others are all the way in a place where we can't get to them without being shot to pieces! Let's get going!"

He hadn't exactly inspired confidence in the group, if they even heard him. He quickly jumped down to avoid a stream of bullets.

Neptune joined Nora against Emerald. The boy had drawn his weapon into its trident form, although some believed that it was a halberd more than anything, and swung horizontally. Nora backed away to avoid a cleave by a sword armed Faunus as Emerald jumped over Neptune's attack, and would have brought her blades to his throat if not for him deflecting them with the handle of his weapon.

"Hey, you've got something that belongs to me!" Neptune shouted at her as pushed her back and brought the end down on her. She sidestepped and kicked out, making him pull on his weapon as it dug into the ground and lift away from danger.

"I do? Whatever do you mean?" Emerald leaped forward, firing her ballistics as he spun his weapon in a circle repeatedly, deflecting the shots. Their weapons met.

"You know what! My freakin' wallet! I had three Lien in there!"

"How did it feel to have your life savings stolen?"

"T-They aren't my life savings!"

"Not anymore."

Neptune broke away and formed his gun with a twirl of the weapon, and fired at the ground underneath Emerald. She jumped over the shot and swung for his neck, as he leaned back and brought his gun to her torso and fired, but he was too late. She had grabbed his shoulders while still in the air and flipped behind him before hurling the boy into the entrance of a haunted house.

* * *

"Blake, I understand if you don't wish to participate in the battle."

Blake and Pyrrha remained in the shadows between a fast food restaurant and an indoor water park, watching the event take place. They had seen and heard everything, including Adam talking to the leader.

"…It's okay. I'll fight. The White Fang is nothing to me now, other than the group trying to kill my friends and these innocent people."

Pyrrha put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I'm glad you trusted us with your past, Blake. Rest assured, you have my full support if any should choose to give you trouble for it."

"…Thank you, Pyrrha."

Blake must not have liked these moments dragging on for too long, as she quickly stood and drew her weapon. Pyrrha's spear was already drawn, the warrior ready for battle.

"Now, as evaders of the law, wanted for cheating on a coin dropping machine, let us defeat those who would dare harm our comrades!"

She was taking that excursion far too seriously, Blake thought. Maybe this was just her way of trying to bond with a friend.

The two girls ran from the shadows. A café had become the centre of a large fight, with chairs and tables being shot and scattered across the area. The building itself formed the origin of many distinctive gunshots and Dust blasts.

They were sighted by a squad of dog Fauna, who ceased firing at the café and changed their targets immediately upon seeing their weaponry. Blake vanished, leaving silhouettes, and rushed headstrong through the ranks, streaks of silver signifying her blade strokes as they cut through several opponents. A more perceptive foe looked back to see Blake coming to a stop, and would have opened fire had Pyrrha not put her spear through his shoulder.

Blake and Pyrrha forcefully made their way into the blue themed café, where Ruby, Weiss and Yang had fortified their positions, taking shots at the White Fang. A member attempted to follow them inside, but a shot from Yang blasted him back out.

"Blake, Pyrrha! I'm so glad you're okay!" Ruby called out as she peered from behind a counter, reloading a magazine. The newcomers dived over it to join her. Yang and Weiss were keeping a solid defence at the front of the room, guarding the large, broken window and a door from intruders. Blake glanced over the counter.

"Unfortunately, I'm not okay. I couldn't quite gain my prize from a claw machine earlier." Blake had hoped that the statement was enough to ensure them that she was fine. Her team was far too overprotective when it came to her feelings about the White Fang.

"You know those machines only keep a tight grip once in every twenty tries, right?"

"I see…"

Weiss shouted at them.

"Hello!? Fighting!"

The White Fang were getting closer, swarming the entrance.

Blake saw Adam, just over the opposing force. He was pushing the leader back towards a rollercoaster, although she refused to go down without a fight.

"I'm sorry. I need to speak to him." Blake spoke softly and didn't wait for a response, disappearing at rapid speeds.

"Blake, wait!" Ruby shouted far too late. She had already rushed over the oppressing group to join Adam.

* * *

The side of a red rollercoaster became the scene of the battle between Adam and the wolf Faunus. He was hardly making an effort, hoping that she would see sense and surrender, but no such luck. She jumped back and into a carriage, the tip of her tail poised and glowing red.

"Not sure what I was expecting to happen, really…" She whispered to herself. Adam spun his sword several times as he walked closer.

"Adam!"

Adam whipped around.

"Blake."

Blake joined Adam's side, facing the leader. The wolf Faunus sighed.

"I think I've seen you before… You're the chick who always used to be with Boss, a few years ago."

The stamping of feet alerted the trio to the presence of many Fauna, who Blake recognised as one of the groups previously attacking her team.

"Indeed, it was a time when I respected him."

Adam scoffed.

"I suppose that's one way to greet an old friend. Blake, if you truly do despise me, then why did you just join me?"

"I want to see if you can earn back my respect."

The opposing group surrounded the pair.

"You're going to have to wait. For now, be a sweetheart and start this rollercoaster for us."

"I thought you would just slice them all in half."

The lever that activated the rollercoaster was positioned to the right, behind a Faunus. Blake aimed her gun and shot its tip, swinging it to the side so that the ride activated. Before the group realised their plan, Adam and Blake had jumped onto it, as the leader regained her balance and spun her tonfas.

The rollercoaster gathered speed quickly. They had rounded a corner when the fight resumed, but for now, stayed on a level part of the railing. Blake and Adam ran across the tops of the seats, weapons ready, and the leader flipped on the spot, letting her tail weapon unleash red Dust. The allied Fauna jumped over a burst of flame and brought their weapons down on her. She jumped back to another seat, using her device to switch to blue Dust.

Blake caught up first as the rollercoaster began to ascend a ramp. They both engaged in close combat, leaving no room for Adam to make an approach. Blake thrust her sword in a fencing like motion, and pulled away to try and break the other's guard, but instead the wolf Faunus allowed herself to be pulled forward and brought her knee to Blake's head, knocking her back several carriages. Adam had to check that Blake hadn't fallen off before making his move.

As the rollercoaster reached the tip of its ascent, Adam raised his sheath and brandished the blade with a gunshot, making her raise her tonfas in defence. He didn't play around, and brushed aside her weapons to slam his hilt into her stomach, bringing her to her knees and nearly lose her balance. Before he kicked her into unconsciousness, she whipped her tail forward, sending forth a cascade of ice that would have skewered Adam if he had not jumped back next to Blake.

"Blake, I've changed my mind! Stop this ride!" They must have lost the pursuing Fauna by now.

The rollercoaster gained speed at an incredible rate while it descended, with small glaciers of ice inside every carriage leading up to Blake and Adam. They had begun to pass under another part of the railing that the ride would go through in a few seconds. The supports that held the railing up could be easily cut at her current velocity.

Blake handed her roped gun to Adam and jumped off the side of the rollercoaster, urging him not to drop it. He held it with one hand as the leader approached, tail glowing cyan, and she somersaulted, letting loose with several blasts of ice. He growled and swiped one to the side, letting it fly into a booth in front of the Ferris wheel, as she landed in front of him, starting a frenzy of attacks.

Blake flew alongside the rollercoaster, sharpened blade ready. As she passed the supporting beams of the track underneath them, she sliced them cleanly, and tugged on the rope, indicating to Adam that she was done. Adam kicked the leader back into their carriage and pulled the roped gun, letting Blake come closer to the rollercoaster so that she could pull herself back on board.

The leader knew that she was beaten when she saw the track in front of them fall to the ground, leaving nothing for the carriages to stay upon. Adam still held Blake's gun, and hurled it at the wall of a large, indoor water park as they passed it, before taking Blake's hand and jumping away.

Blake and Adam swung into the side of the water park, landing on it while suspended by Blake's weapon, and watched the rollercoaster fly off the severed tracks. They could hear the leader shout loudly as it was launched into the bottom carriage of the Ferris wheel, with the second half of the ride whipping around and slamming through the supports that kept it in place before coming to a halt, screeching across the ground.

* * *

Ren and Mercury's fight had taken them to the Ferris wheel, which had yet to be affected by the battles taking place. In the distance, Ren had caught sight of Blake joining Adam next to a rollercoaster, and saw the cat Faunus shoot the lever that activated it.

Mercury jumped over Ren and stamped down, making the black haired boy use his aura as a shield, forcing him into the first carriage of the Ferris wheel. Ren slammed the door shut as Mercury rammed his foot inside, shattering the window. Temporarily stuck, he could do little as Ren charged his aura briefly and struck his palm into the door, blasting it apart and sending Mercury scattering across the ground.

Mercury recovered while skidding on the ground, and fired his greaves, charging for the carriage. Ren grabbed the top of it, where the door had been, and flipped to the top as Mercury kicked through the other side. He soon joined Ren by jumping out and kicking off the metal frame that held the carriages together.

Seemingly from nowhere, a chunk of ice pierced the cabin that contained the Ferris wheel's controls. Ren should have known that this fight wouldn't be so simple. Sparks flew from the cabin, and the ride began to turn with the combatants on top of the bottom carriage.

Ren bounced to a rotating platform behind him, firing his pistols at Mercury, who grunted and jumped back as well, dodging the bullets that shredded the previous foothold. The criminal apprentice jumped and ran across the metal frame, avoiding the bullet storm, and pounced on Ren, keeping stable on the moving battlefield.

They engaged in a hand to hand battle. Ren struck for the neck. Mercury ducked and swung for the chest. Ren blocked and swept. The other hopped and kicked at his neck. Ren swung the strike away, letting Mercury land, and thrust with his palm, which was quickly caught, and they contested their strength.

"What the-!?" Mercury saw the incoming threat.

He kicked off Ren, sending him into another carriage, and bounced to the one behind him as a derailed rollercoaster tore through the section they had been standing on. Ren flipped to safety as the second half of the destroyed ride whipped through and crushed the beams that held the Ferris wheel in place.

Ren could have sworn that he saw a wolf Faunus fly by as the Ferris wheel began to roll away, the few supporting beams unable to hold it in place. They were headed straight for another section of the park.

Still rotating, Ren found himself quickly at the top of the wheel, the carriage he stood upon shaking wildly. Mercury had jumped to an adjacent carriage, staring down at him as their footholds descended with the rotations. The criminal kicked and shot the wire that held his carriage in its place, and jumped away onto the frame, letting it fall on top of Ren. Grunting, Ren flipped to a platform below, and leaped to the frame as the carriages on his side began to fall and crumple one by one.

Ren opened fire on Mercury with one hand while clinging to the frame as the Ferris wheel slowly made its way towards the haunted house, showing no signs of stopping. A bullet caught Mercury in the shoulder, but it was so weak that it had little effect on the boy's aura. Ren's opponent slid down the frame with a single hand and dropped down on him, making him leap to a lower section. Within seconds, they were on differing sides of the Ferris wheel.

The Ferris wheel crashed into the haunted house attraction. Ren could hear a girl scream, and hoped that she was fine.

* * *

Jaune saw Neptune being chased into the haunted house by Emerald, and followed after him. He had just entered the entrance when a menacing yet sultry voice called out to him.

"Arc, Arc, Arc. You couldn't just leave, I see."

Jaune gulped. There was only one woman who called him Arc.

The light from outside had narrowed as Cinder stepped through, her flaming eyes focused on the boy. Jaune giggled nervously.

"Hey, Cinder… Yeah, sorry, but I couldn't actually find all of my friends in time, and then the White Fang came, and now I'm fighting for my and their lives. That, uh… isn't gonna be a problem, is it?"

One form of response on her behalf was to light a ball of flame in her hand.

"Arc. Why do you think I asked you to leave? I knew you and your friends would attempt to stop today's proceedings, but lo and behold, here you are still. I had planned to only watch this event, but it seems I have to take measures into my own hands."

Jaune waved his hands in front of him, trying to calm her down.

"No no no! We're totally allies! You can't just kill me like this!"

Cinder stepped forward, flashing her trademark grin.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to kill you. I'm just ensuring that you learn your lesson and do what you're told in the future. Let's have some fun, Arc!"

Jaune raised his shield to deflect a lobbed fireball, tongues of flame splashing against the walls and illuminating the path forward. Deciding that engaging her in direct combat was a poor option, Jaune took his chances and fled further into the haunted house.

The attraction had not been deactivated. Plastic ghouls and spiders still attempted to surprise Jaune as he dashed through varying rooms, trying to hide from Cinder. He would have lied if he said that a spider didn't scare him in the first room he entered. Many of the rooms were nearly pitch black, with flickering candles providing the only light.

Jaune could barely make out a hall of mirrors in the section to his left, and what appeared to be another dark room ahead of him. Gritting his teeth, Jaune made his way to the dark room.

"Got ya!"

A light blue edge nearly slashed his throat. It struck his shield, and Jaune pushed it away to see his attacker.

"Neptune! What gives!?"

Neptune eyes widened briefly upon seeing Jaune. He formed his gun again and stood back, scratching the back of his head.

"Sorry, Jaune. It's hard to tell who's a friend or foe considering how few light sources we've got."

Jaune threw his hands on Neptune's shoulders.

"If we don't get out of here right now, WE are gonna be the next light sources. C'mon, let's go!"

Neptune pulled back, his eyes shifting nervously around the room's several entrances.

"Not yet. I'm in the middle of a showdown."

Footsteps behind them. Neptune turned and fired at a door, where Emerald's red eyes could be seen in the darkness. She let out a silent gasp and took cover, letting the shot fly by, and returned fire. Jaune dived to the side as Neptune turned over a dusty table, using it as protection, and glanced back over to shoot again. Emerald vanished.

"Can't you do this outside, where a scary lady isn't hunting me!?"

"Do you even know how to get out of this place?"

"No."

"Well, looks like you'll just have to put that sword to use, I guess. Sorry, but I can't let her get away with my three Lien!"

Neptune chased her into the dark hallway, leaving Jaune to fend for himself.

It would seem that Jaune would have to rely on cunning. Lure her into a room and get around her through another series of rooms, trying to retrace his footsteps to find the entrance, which would serve to be his exit. The hall of mirrors would make an excellent escape route if need be.

Soft hissing warned Jaune of nearby danger. From the room he just left, he could see a faint, orange glow.

"Aw, c'mon…"

A large, burning snake protruded through the doorway, tongue flapping rapidly. It set its beady eyes on Jaune and snarled before rearing its head.

Jaune moved automatically. Cinder's snake tore into the wooden floor with fiery teeth, igniting it instantly, as he sprinted into the hallway Neptune had entered. He didn't stop running while it smashed through a wall to meet him, screeching.

A blue gunshot struck the snake in the head, but didn't kill it, only diverting its attention. Neptune stood at the other end of the hallway.

"Go! I'll bring it into the corner of the building!"

Jaune acknowledged him, and ran around a corner of the hallway as the snake pursued Neptune, who ran in the same direction as Jaune. The blonde boy brushed aside an animatronic spider, letting it clank on the ground while ducking into another room, hoping he was headed in the right direction.

A slash caught Jaune's cheek. Emerald was hiding in the room, and she sprinted for him again, spinning her blades. Jaune assumed the stance Pyrrha taught him, easily withstanding her assault with his shield. Waiting for the pause in her attack, he swiped the shield aside and made a thrust with his sword, missing her completely as she ran and vanished once more. Jaune hated nimble opponents. Sparing against Blake would be a nightmare.

Jaune continued through the room and reached what appeared to be the corner of the building. Neptune sprinted by, the snake lapping at his heels, and gave an indication to Jaune to ready his sword. As the snake passed him, Jaune stuck the blade in its body. A screech made Jaune hurry and rip the sword out, splitting the snake in half.

One threat down, but how to deal with the other two? They were smarter than the snake, and wouldn't fall for a simple manoeuvre. Neptune was running for the hall of mirrors. Jaune might as well join him.

The boys stood in the hall, seeing reflections of themselves, weapons raised.

"We should either meet them here, or just run for the exit." Jaune whispered.

Neptune was sure he saw a reflection of Emerald further along the corridor.

"The choice just got made for us."

"Let's split up, and try and confuse them." Jaune silently ducked to the right, mirrors reflecting his image, while Neptune went left.

It was too quiet. Jaune stayed on his guard, ready to react to any movement.

Gunshots further away. Neptune must have found the girl. Now, where was Cinder?

A burning glow surrounded him from all sides, followed by a high pitched noise. She found him. Jaune dashed through the enclosed space as a pillar of flame burst out of the ground, lighting the area. More followed, nearly engulfing him completely. Was she actually trying to kill him?

The blasts stopped, thankfully. He could hear the rapid footsteps of Neptune and his foe close by, but Jaune was too occupied with trying to find Cinder.

"Hey, Cinder?" He shouted.

"What is it, Arc? Want to give a last will and testament in case I go too far?"

It was something to consider, he would give her that.

"Why are you helping the White Fang? I mean, just humour me."

"No business of yours. We're both groups who are mutually assisting each other. The motivations are none of your concern."

Jaune started to move.

"The White Fang leader said that they wanted Pandora, whatever that is. I don't suppose you know?"

"Pandora? I've heard bits and pieces, but ultimately, I don't care about why they want it. Emerald, check your flank!"

Jaune was getting closer.

"So… What do you want? Cold hard cash?"

He shuffled silently around the corner. As he expected, he managed to find Cinder, standing calmly with her arms crossed, stylish black jacket almost invisible. He swiftly ran towards her, having used the sound of her voice to find the woman, and readied the hilt of his sword.

"Stop talking, Arc. You're giving yourself away."

Cinder snapped around and tossed a fireball at his chest. Jaune took the blow in its entirety, falling back several paces as Cinder approached slowly.

"Oh God oh man oh God…" Jaune struggled to his feet.

He was saved by Neptune, unintentionally. The blue haired boy fired several shots in the background, one of which pierced through the mirrors around them. Emerald dashed through the broken pieces, firing over her shoulder, and kicked off another mirror, passing by Cinder. Neptune soon followed, but stopped at the sight of Cinder.

"Woah, pretty lady alert!" Cinder summoned a pair of fireballs."Okay, dangerous lady alert. Peace out!"

Neptune dived through the mirrors he had broken, and Jaune gave chase, not desiring any alone time with Cinder.

The pair managed to make their way to the back of the room, no closer to any kind of exit, and panted for breath. Jaune fanned his face with shield.

"Okay, so the situation could be better."

A new noise could be heard from outside. The pair glanced at each other.

"Sounds like something scraping on the ground." They were silent for another moment as the noise came closer.

Jaune screamed as a Ferris wheel burst through the wall, tearing the haunted house apart. The thin, cheap material that was used for its construction disintegrated upon impact, letting the rampaging ride rip through the building without much resistance.

"What series of events could possibly lead to this!?" Jaune cried out as he and Neptune ran for their lives, passing mirrors as they shattered, the noise of the deconstruction being heard throughout the park. They hopped over fallen beams in their escape.

Cinder stood at the other end of the building, letting them come closer. Emerald couldn't be seen for now.

"Jaune, up here!"

Neptune brandished his trident and stabbed it into a carriage as they ran along side it. He grabbed Jaune by the arm as the rotating Ferris wheel pulled them off the ground and safely away from Cinder.

They heaved themselves on top of the carriage, where they could see Ren and Mercury battling on the metal frame. Neptune couldn't get a good shot, and latched onto the frame, using it as a zipline with his weapon to reach them. He delivered a swinging kick to Mercury while letting go of the weapon with one hand to stay on the frame, and joined the fight with Ren.

Another snake was summoned by Cinder. This one bit into a carriage, allowing her to run on top of it to board the Ferris wheel. Jaune groaned as he saw her stand on a carriage adjacent to him, and noticed Emerald jump on to the frame with ninja-like precision.

They were headed for the indoor water park. Mercury kicked away from the frame to join Cinder, as Emerald did the same. The fire summoner's hands burned, and she slammed them into her carriage, sending forth a pair of snakes. Jaune, Ren and Neptune spread out across the wheel while the snakes aimed for pivotal parts, letting Neptune and Emerald sprint across them to meet their targets.

"Boost me!" Neptune called out to Jaune. The blonde raised his shield over his head while Neptune descended on him, and jumped off to meet Emerald as she traversed the snake. He landed on the snake's head, trident ready, and spun it around his waist, forcing her to raise her blades. They clashed weapons, and she tumbled down, but quickly got to her feet before falling. Neptune dug his weapon into the snake and slid down towards her. By now, the wheel had performed half of a complete turn, so that he was upside down while sliding like he was riding a zipline again. She was ready this time, and swung on the snake to take to the air, letting him miss but hitting her didn't seem to be his intention.

"Yoink!"

His hand brushed her pocket. He had retrieved his wallet and dropped to a lower carriage.

"Damn it!"

Emerald landed next to Mercury where he and Ren fought before jumping down to Neptune. Mercury fired as he kicked out at Ren, also hitting the pole attaching the carriage to the frame. It didn't take long for the attacks to take their toll, and for the second time within the past few minutes, the carriage detached, with both fighters still on it. They hurtled to the ground, and made one last attack each before hitting the floor.

Mercury's final attack came, with him kicking the falling carriage at Ren with a gunshot. The black haired boy prepared his aura and struck it, distorting its being before it promptly exploded into pieces. He took a piece of the roof and hurled it at Mercury, but it was far too late.

Nothing could have stopped the pair from hitting the ground, meaning that their battle had come to an end. Both boys fell with a loud impact, Ren's throw missing its mark, temporarily knocking them unconscious as the Ferris wheel continued towards the indoor water park without them.

"Emerald, bail!"

Cinder called out to Emerald, noting the impending obstacle. The red eyed girl pushed back Neptune and jumped from her position, digging her blades into the bottom of a rollercoaster rail that hadn't fallen yet, and swinging into an umbrella stand for a safe landing. Cinder plainly jumped from the Ferris wheel, and scorched the ground with a jet of flame from her hands to slow her descent.

"Neptune!" Jaune shouted, looking for a safe way out. They were metres away from the impact. Neptune clung on the metal frame near Jaune.

"Screw it, just jump!"

They both leapt, falling rapidly towards the ground.

A pair of golden, translucent spectres snatched them from the air, and their drop was softened. They were being held bridal style when the ghosts vanished, letting them fall with a slight bump.

Sun swung his staff to bat away a Faunus, and joined the boys as they stood.

"Seriously, how did you guys end up on a roving Ferris wheel?"

Neptune cleared his throat.

"Because we're us. Thanks for the rescue, champ."

The Ferris wheel continued for a moment before hitting the water park, falling on its side and crushing a wall.

* * *

Katil witnessed Jaune enter the haunted house, leaving him, Sun, Nora and Norn.

The cat Faunus had become separated from the rest of the group, however, as blades and blunt weapons were being swung at him. Katil's main threat was a large rhinoceros Faunus swinging for the hills, throwing aside everything in his path to reach the cat Faunus. Benches, umbrellas and other White Fang members all went over Katil's head.

He hoped to lose the enemy in the indoor water park, which had been unaffected so far. Covered slides could be seen on the outside of the wall.

Kicking down the doors, the inside was everything he had been expecting. Changing rooms stood to his right, a large pool directly in front, and stairs leading to slides and water rides on the left. He was still being followed, the rhino Faunus a few metres behind. Katil sprinted for the changing rooms, trying to break sight.

He wasn't alone. Katil could feel it. Somebody was waiting in the shadows, ready to strike. Stepping lightly, Katil passed through the lockers, wary of the surroundings.

In the corner of the room, a person raised a metal bar, and brought it down on his head.

"OW! Who the hell-?"

"Katie!?"

Katil swung around, clutching the back of his head.

"Velvet?"

Velvet stood meekly, holding the bar with a surprised expression. She dropped it quickly.

"…Wasn't me."

"Wasn't you!? You just hit me straight in the head! You bent the bar!"

"I thought you were a White Fang…"

"I… I'm not even wearing a uniform!"

"Okay, I'm sorry!" She broke out, pushing her finger tips together, ears flopping over her face. Katil leaned back on the lockers.

"Eh, it's fine… Off to a rollicking good start for our first meeting since last year, huh?"

Unexpectedly, she threw her arms around him.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming back? You shouldn't keep a girl waiting."

"I was gonna surprise you. Which I did, technically."

"Aren't you going to tell me about the freakish robot arm?"

"In due time."

Their brief conversation was cut short, as the rhino Faunus broke down the door. His bulging muscles contained a few cuts, perhaps from the fights outside.

"Run?" Velvet whispered as the enemy found them.

"It's great that we can read each other's thoughts like that."

Velvet pulled Katil away from the lockers and they set off for the other end of the room, leading back to the large pool.

They skidded on the wet ground as they ran across the side of the pool. The White Fang member stomped the ground on his approach while they rounded a corner.

"Katie, does that arm do something?"

"It takes some of my adrenaline to power up a punch for a single hit. Where's your weapon?"

"Haven't got it with me. What sort of weirdo brings a weapon to a public place?"

Katil glanced out of the doors leading outside, catching a peek of Nora and Sun battling the White Fang.

"Point taken."

He caught up to them while they moved around another corner leading to the stairs. The rhino Faunus grunted and swung his huge fist, hitting Velvet in the back. The girl squeaked as she scattered across the cold floor, nearly dropping into the pool. Katil turned around to punch back, his metal arm glowing orange.

Another large fist came Katil's way when he threw his metal arm forward, both limbs meeting between them. Velvet ran back, holding a life guard chair, and slammed it on the foe's head to no effect. He growled and kicked away Katil before turning to her.

Velvet sprinted for the stairs with incredible agility, jumping over a diving board over the pool, with the enemy on her tail. She was headed for the slides that hung in the air above them, forming a maze of water and plastic. Katil jumped to a window ledge above him, and kicked off to grab a low hanging slide, just about capable of pulling himself up. Water rushed down the slide, threatening to drag him into the pool if he put his entire body inside.

Velvet mounted the top of the stairs, after almost being grabbed, and joined Katil as he jumped from the slide to the top of the area. The unfriendly Faunus roared as he clumsily ran at them, fist raised. Velvet swiftly pushed Katil into a slide before hopping into another, making the enemy choose one of them to hunt down.

Velvet was already soaked as she looked over her shoulder while tumbling down the slide, seeing the rhino Faunus had decided on her. Grabbing the edge of the slide, she heaved her small frame over the edge, landing on a slide below her. He tried to follow suit, but due to his large size, fell straight through the slide and back on the floor below.

She clung to the edge to stop her fall and try and find Katil. He was doing the exact same thing, and their eyes met. They both laughed at their odd predicament and wet appearances.

Velvet squeaked as her slide shook. Looking down, they saw their enemy pulling the supports of the slide, ripping it to shreds to bring her down. She pounced from the current slide and into Katil's.

"Awesome, now we can be killed together!" Katil called out.

"Just whack him in the face!" Her dialect made the order convincing.

The rhino Faunus growled and jumped to the bottom of the slide, the water rushing between his legs. Katil shrugged and tossed Velvet behind him before kicking off the edge, launching towards the foe, metal arm raised. He wasn't expecting Katil to fight back so quickly, and was caught off guard when the steaming fist struck his forehead, making him fly into the wall on the other side of the building, clearing the pool. He hit the wall with a hard impact, and crumpled to the floor.

Katil's arm opened its vents to release excess heat. He had fallen into the pool afterwards, and poked his head out of the water in time to see Velvet crash into him.

A few moments later, a wet Velvet flopped on top of an equally wet Katil, both panting. They stayed still for a few moments.

"Katie?"

"…Yeah?"

"You said your arm uses adrenaline, right?"

"Yep."

"So, why is your arm glowing orange right now?"

"ACK!"

Katil pushed Velvet's soaking frame off of his, cheeks tinted red. Velvet laughed cutely, not caring about how embarrassed he felt.

A groan warned them that the rhino Faunus was still awake. He got to his feet, clutching a red mark on his face.

"Playtime's over, kids!" He was just about to stomp over to them.

Unfortunately, the wall suddenly came crashing down, with a Ferris wheel breaking it apart. It fell on its side, tearing through the building, and flattening the Faunus.

There was a silence in the water park as Katil and Velvet acknowledged the fact that this Ferris wheel had somehow found its way from its original place to all the way over here. How does something like that happen?

The pair of Fauna hopped over the wreckage to find several others nearby.

"Kat! Have you been getting wet with a cute girl this entire time?"

"Shut it, Sis!" Katil had shouted automatically.

Norn and Nora joined them. For now, no White Fang members were nearby, but signs of their presence were everywhere. A cafe in the distance had become the centre of a large battle.

One by one, their friends began to form around the small group. Nora found Ren and slapped him awake, bringing him along to the fallen wheel. Jaune, Neptune and Sun were already close by, and joined the White Fang resistors. Blake and Adam had come seemingly from nowhere, the older Faunus dragging along a wolf Faunus. Now, Ruby, Weiss, Yang and Pyrrha were left.

Adam hadn't bothered with talking to the others as he laid the leader on the ground.

"Wake up."

She must have already been awake, as she lazily opened her eyes.

"Well fought, Boss…"

"Call off your subordinates. No one should have to die today." Adam wanted this to end so that he could speak with Blake in private.

"Sorry, Boss. The Boss' orders said that we shouldn't bother coming back without Pandora. If we did, then who knows what'd he do?"

Adam was becoming increasingly interested in this new leader of the White Fang. Maybe he should pay a visit to the headquarters at some point.

"Why do you need Pandora? What does it do?"

"All he said was that it would make our wishes come true."

"And you believe that?"

"I only believe in the White Fang, even in its current totalitarian state. Not many of us have anything left, after all."

What a sad, pride-less state the White Fang had fallen into without his leadership. The point of the White Fang was once to bring the Fauna to superiority over humanity, but right now, the Fauna in the group was suffering more than anybody else.

"I'm sorry. I'll see if I can set things straight with your leader, but I can't do anything for the White Fang who are here today. As soon as the police move in, you're going to face a life time in prison for this."

"I know I will. That's why I want you to finish me."

"Come again?"

They were interrupted. A series of glyphs spread across the ground leading from the café, and within seconds, the missing members of the group slid by.

"We're here!" Ruby shouted as her came to a halt next to them.

"Katil!?" Weiss' eyes widened at the sight of their old friend, although she and him didn't depart on an amicable note last year.

"Oh, right, I forgot. Hi, everybody!" Katil's greeted everybody he had yet to greet so far.

And he wouldn't have time for anything else. The White Fang began to enclose them next to the Ferris wheel, guns and blades at the ready. Once more, the group was outnumbered heavily.

"Sorry, Boss, but they won't back down. Their lives and pride as White Fang members are on the line." The wolf Faunus spoke. "I'm done, but they'll still follow their orders, no matter what."

"It's okay. We'll defeat them."

"Wait. Will you kill them? Or will you spare them? If you do the latter, they'll face a life in prison with their dignity stripped from them by humans. Please, just end it for us."

Blake was listening intently. If she wasn't nearby, judging him, the answer would be obvious.

Adam would have happily killed them and prevented their future. It was better than a life of suffering in prison, brought about by the orders of an uncaring leader, for a cause that many probably didn't believe in.

"Guys, we need to do something!" Jaune cried out.

Shots had broken out. Ruby and Yang returned fire as Weiss created solid glyphs that blocked the enemy's bullets.

Ruby noted the Ferris wheel on its side. She had an idea.

"Weiss, can you make that wheel move?"

"I can put glyphs under it, but it will need initial momentum to start spinning."

Ruby hopped on the Ferris wheel.

"Weiss, do it! When it looks like I'm going fast enough, get rid of the glyphs and throw some ice stuff at the wheel! Oh, then everybody should take cover somewhere!"

They all heard her. Weiss did as instructed and planted glyphs into the ground under the Ferris wheel. Ruby set off, using her semblance to maximum effect, spinning the wheel at a rapid rate.

It took only a few seconds for the wheel to lift off the ground, its revolutions assisted by Weiss' glyphs. A whirlwind was being created, as light objects including chairs were sucked inside.

The group nodded to each other. Adam picked up the leader and jumped away with Blake, as everybody else scattered. Neptune dived into the pool of the water park with Jaune and Sun. Everybody else had ducked behind any nearby walls they could find.

Weiss could feel the hurricane begin to pull her in. Switching Dust barrels for the denouement, she threw a cyan glyph over the Ferris wheel, and skated for dear life.

The many White Fang members were helpless as they were pulled into the ice storm, being caught in before being spat out, covered in ice. Shards of the frozen water were sent flying with little input, hitting Fauna who tried to run. Even objects outside of the park were affected, as a police car hurtled past and crushed a wall, with ice chunks hitting buildings in the distance.

The sky had turned dark by the time Ruby was done. The hurricane came to a stop, with the Ferris wheel clanking on the ground. The park was silent as the group ducked over their cover to see that the White Fang had been scattered everywhere, unconscious.

Yang hurried over and grabbed an exhausted Ruby as she collapsed, aura at her limits. The others slowly came forward, taking in the aftermath of today's battles. Entire buildings had been pulled apart, the pristine landscape was ruined, and a Ferris wheel had seen a lot of abuse.

"That was a thing. A lot of things, that is." Yang whispered to herself as she cradled the sleeping Ruby. Ren stepped forward, looking for his rival and the other criminals.

"It seems those assisting the White Fang are gone."

Affirming Ren's point, a silver helicopter flew overhead. He could make out Mercury and his allies looking out of the vehicle. He wondered if the police would try to pursue it.

Some distance away, Adam had lain down the wolf Faunus in a quiet corner. A gun had fallen from the hurricane and landed close by.

"I won't try to talk you out of this. Just rest knowing that I intend to do something about the White Fang. If I see no other course available, I will deal with the new leader directly."

She still hadn't taken off her mask.

"Good. You know, I quite like the 'new' Adam Taurus. Whatever's going on in your mind, I'm sure it's the right thing. Even destroying the White Fang completely would be a mercy for many of us, even those who know nothing else."

"I'm glad you're starting to see things my way. I'm only sorry it had to end like this-"

"-Stop apologising, Boss. That's one thing I don't like about the new you. If you're really sorry, just do something."

"Heh… Alright. Save me a spot in hell."

"Will do. Goodbye, Boss."

Adam put the rifle in her hands and walked away, leaving the wolf Faunus to her fate.

Blake was standing around the corner of the alley, and he wasn't sure of what kind of expression she was giving him.

"You left her to commit suicide." She stated simply.

The gunshot rang out through the park.

"I did."

She slapped him across the face.

"Why?"

Adam wasn't upset. He was anticipating such an action.

"Because it was better than leaving her to rot in prison with less than stellar examples of humans. Is there a problem with that?"

"Yes, there is! How can you just so casually let her die?"

"First, she wanted it. Second, I did it out of mercy. It's better to die than live in agony. I made the right choice."

Blake couldn't form an immediate response. Adam knew her. She agreed with him, to an extent, but was in denial as she had never dealt with a situation like this before. What would she do if faced with the same situation?

"…I see. In that case, shouldn't you execute every White Fang member in this park?"

"I would like the chance, if any asked for it. Unfortunately, it's too late."

The police had entered the area, handcuffs and stun rods at the ready. Some of the Fauna still awake attempted to fight back, but to no avail. Other officers were taking statements from the group of students.

"Adam. Did you at all care about my thoughts?"

"For a minute, yes. But after that, I realised that what you think shouldn't get in the way of my decision."

They strolled around the wrecked park. Overhead, a helicopter was giving live coverage of the event.

"I… don't know what to think of you right now, honestly. Why did you come back?"

"Katil and Norn are enrolling at Beacon, and they didn't want me to stay behind in Menagerie. That, and I have a few things I want to take care of. The White Fang, discovering more on Pandora, I actually have a fairly tight schedule. But, seeing you again was a priority."

Blake leaned back on the remains of the café.

"What for?"

"Simple. I just want you to know that I've changed since you left me on that train. Losing my best friend wasn't a nice experience."

Blake's ambivalence was clear. Seeing her in such a state was rare.

"I…"

She looked down at the ground, not knowing what to say. However, their conversation was interrupted by the ringing of her scroll.

* * *

"Blake."

"Headmaster Ozpin? Can I help you?"

"Your actions today are being broadcast live on the news at this very moment. We can discuss this when you return to Beacon, but for now, can you put Adam on the line?"

"Ah, sure…"

Ozpin could hear the changing of hands. Next to him, Goodwitch was sorting through the list of damages suffered to the park.

"Ozpin?"

"Greetings, Adam. I couldn't help but notice you at the site of today's battle with the White Fang."

A television in the corner of the room displayed the amusement park. Adam was now looking up at the camera.

"Hm, I regret to inform you that the bill for the damages is probably headed straight for the students' headmaster."

"No worries. I plan on forwarding the bill to an uncle of one of these students, and my friend."

Qrow was in for one hell of a shock.

"That's one way to handle it. So, why did you want to talk?"

Ozpin leaned back in his chair and sipped his coffee.

"We at Beacon require a new teacher. I'm certain you can already see where I am going with this."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Author's note- Moving living locale, and consequently a lack of internet (BT actually stands for 'bunch of tossers.'), has caused this chapter to be delayed, but I should be back on schedule now, if I even had one.

* * *

Caius was determined to catch the stalker tonight.

Evening had arrived. The detective's day had consisted of making appointments with various individuals for the next few days, and after doing so, wandering around Vale to pass the time until night approached. He did some research on recent events, such as the chase involving Penny a couple of days ago. The whole area was on lock down due to a disturbance at a newly opened amusement park, involving the White Fang, meaning his movements were somewhat restricted, but he still managed to wile away the hours. It must have been a miracle that allowed him to arrange a meeting with Ironwood today, seeing as the robot manufacturer had a schedule tighter than a model's waistline.

Caius had numerous questions for Ironwood. For one, he would like more information on Penny, as well as his machine production in general, but the main purpose of his visit was to establish if Ironwood posed a threat to his criminal allies. The job comes first.

As the dark dawned on Vale, Caius turned a corner while a gust of wind ruffled his coat. He put a hand on his hat and proceeded through the streets, while a light snowfall descended on the town. Ironwood currently resided in a production factory on the edge of the area, which was lit up so brightly that it could be seen from the other side of Vale. Every now and then, metallic clanks could be heard for miles around. Caius wondered if Ironwood had ever received injunctions, and if he did, if the man had chosen to obey them.

It was as Caius approached the gates to the metal factory that his instinct had kicked in, making him turn around. Many civilians were passing by, as well as several police officers, perhaps due to the events in the amusement park, and he could have sworn that he saw the same shadowy figure from last night, hiding as best they could.

Unfortunately, Caius didn't have time to play games. Ironwood had granted him only a few minutes, and besides, if this person so desperately wanted to stalk him, for whatever reason, they would be following him all night. He decided that he could catch them tonight after the meeting, as his mother's voice reminded him once again that the job came first.

Caius gave his name to a speaker at the gate, and the receptionist allowed him entry. The shining gates screeched into life and opened his path to the bright building. If one were to simply stand and stare at the factory without a view of the sky, one would be under the assumption that it was currently midday, not night. How much Dust powered these lights?

Thankfully, the interior wasn't quite as bright as expected, or maybe his eyes had adjusted to it. Awards and trophies pertaining to military prowess hung on the gleaming walls, alongside a bust of Ironwood himself. A bored-looking, black haired receptionist leaned on a desk in the box shaped room, clicking a pen, waiting for the end of her shift. Caius forgot to wipe his shoes on the welcome mat as he entered, but she didn't care. She sighed and flicked through some papers.

"Eighth floor. Office at the end."

"Thank you." Caius muttered. There might as well have been a robot sitting at the desk. Human input must just be one of Ironwood's quotas.

The sophisticated elevator churned to life as soon as he pressed the button for the second floor. The latest advancements in technology could be seen everywhere in this building, and that included its security systems. However, he had his own gadgets and technologies to give him an upper hand in his goals. Torchwick was willing to give him some help.

The door of the elevator opened as he reached the second floor. This seemed to be the floor for engineers. Perfect.

If Ironwood was planning to tackle his criminal allies, the manufacturer would do everything in his power to ensure that said plans didn't reach the hands of others, and would be constantly wary of others. Caius needed to distract the man and look around his office alone. That was why he was taking a quick detour to the second floor instead of heading straight to the office.

Caius shadowed his face with his hat as a security camera swept the dull grey hallway. An engineer with a dark, oil splattered uniform gave him a glance as they passed each other, but chose to say nothing. The detective slightly opened some doors in the hallway, peering into various offices, looking for an empty room. A few occupants noticed their doors opening, but didn't react quick enough to see Caius.

Finally, the detective found an empty office, containing a messy desk and a phone, just what he needed. He took a small, round, black gadget from his pocket, the first half of his tool, and attached it to the underside of the phone. All communication devices in factories used internal networks, so outside contact was impossible. That was why this gadget was needed.

Caius swiftly made for the elevator after closing the door behind him, and stabbed the button to go to the eighth floor. As the transport rode upwards, the glass panes to his sides gave him a small view of the factory at work. Even at night, the place was filled with metallic life. Very few humans and Fauna overlooked the production process, involving the use of mechanical arms to construct the militant robots. Blowtorches fused pieces together, weapons were joined to metal limbs, and conveyor belts moved everything along. The place would be a death-trap for anybody stuck inside.

The elevator came to a halt. The eighth floor was a stark contrast to the second. Dull walls were replaced with shining walls, the offices were visibly larger and cleaner, and cameras were far more plentiful, indicating that this floor had more to hide.

Caius came up to the door at the end, which was firmly shut. Even so, he could hear Ironwood speaking to somebody.

"Steele is at 40%? When Steele's repairs and weaponry are done, resume his pursuit operations. Also, try and find a way to limit his AI in terms of collateral damage. His chase with Penny a couple of days ago cost us more than a little Lien, and our reputation. And keep in mind that I don't want Penny to be brought to harm."

A couple of days ago, when Penny joined the criminals. Caius had taken some time today to learn more about the event, and found that she had been pursued by some form of grotesque humanoid. Interesting. Ironwood seemed to have been speaking on the phone, and put it down, so Caius knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Caius did as instructed. Ironwood's office was surprisingly lacking in grandiose. He had been expecting items that massaged the man's ego, but found a simple, tidy wooden desk, a couple of cushioned chairs, and a window that gave a view of the whole of Vale. To the left and right of the room, they could access a railing that traced the edge of the whole factory, allowing them to oversee the whole factory. A standard clock ticked away on the wall over the entrance.

Ironwood sipped a small glass of what appeared to be rum while staring out of the window. He saw Caius in the reflection of the glass and turned around.

"Ah, you must be the police detective. A pleasure to meet you, Mr…?"

"Caius is fine, Mr. Ironwood."

"Then please, call me James."

The two men shook hands, and both stood, looking through the window at the darkened city.

"Thank you for taking the time out of your night to meet with me. I understand you're a busy man."

Ironwood finished his drink and set the glass on the table.

"Not if the police require my assistance. I'm aware the antics of my machines has caused some trouble for you."

Caius had lied to gain this meeting, as he was obviously far from affiliated with the police. It wasn't as though he could say 'Hello, I'm working with some criminals to find out if you intend to destroy them. Care for a chat?'

"We only wish to put the case to rest with every loophole closed. The sooner we do so, the more of our respective reputations we preserve. The citizens of Vale expect the police to keep them safe, and they expect you and your machines to not cause mayhem on freeways."

Ironwood turned around, straightening his jacket.

"Fair enough. Let's walk; I've been stuck in this office all day." He took the lead and walked towards the railing, leaving the room.

Caius took the chance to fish into his pocket and retrieve the second half of Torchwick's invention, identical to the first that he planted on the previous phone, and attached it to the bottom of Ironwood's phone. The recording should work in a couple of minutes, and give Caius the opportunity to search the office alone.

The detective joined him on the railing quickly, and looked over the edge, seeing the production process once more.

"I'll try not to take up too much of your time. I just have a few questions regarding your machines, and about the statements you made after the event."

"Go right ahead. I wish for the ordeal to be over with as well."

Caius took out his notebook and pencil as they strolled along the path, passing a worker.

"First, why did your machines chase that girl on the freeway?"

"Have I not answered that already? It was simply an error in their targeting program."

"And what caused that error?"

"A human error. Unfortunately, all humans and Fauna make mistakes, and during production, a small batch of machines was installed with a faulty targeting program. The girl must have wandered too close to their storage facility outside and triggered their initiatives."

Caius admired the way that Ironwood kept his cool and thought of all his lies ahead of time. Everything he said just now was consistent and realistic enough to be believed. Still, Caius was armed with his current knowledge of Penny. Yesterday, Torchwick had revealed to him that Penny was assisting them with defeating Ironwood.

"So, you mean to say that you nothing about the girl?"

"I know her name is Penny, but that's about all. I would very much like to meet her and offer her some form of compensation."

They both leaned on the hand rail.

"Odd. Because she very much knows you."

Ironwood's eyes flashed towards him. It would seem that Ironwood was intent on keeping the relationship between himself and Penny a secret.

"Also odd. I was not aware that the police had found her."

Caius needed to be more careful.

"She came into our custody a few hours ago. Mr. Ironwood, please, there is no need to be perfidious."

Ironwood stood still for a moment, deep in thought. He began the walk back to the office.

"My apologies. I believed it best to be deceitful for her own good. How much of her background and our relationship did she tell you?"

"She is a machine, and you had some hand in her creation."

At the very least, Caius was certain of those facts. Who else would be capable of creating such a life-like machine, after all?

They re-entered the office. Ironwood sat on the edge of his desk, and poured another glass of rum. He offered to pour a drink for Caius, who refused. The manufacturer sipped his drink.

"I trust that tidbit will remain…?"

"Confidential? Of course."

"Good. Indeed, Penny is partially my own creation, and I care for her. At least, I should be caring for her…"

Caius noted a hint of sadness, maybe even regret, in the other man's voice, like a father worried for his daughter. At first, Caius had thought of him as egotistical, judging from the trophies and bust in the lobby, but now, he felt that Ironwood had a much deeper side.

"How did she come to leave your custody to begin with? And if you care for her, why were more of your machines trying to destroy her?"

As he asked the question, it occurred to Caius that he would need to interview Penny in depth. There were always two sides of every story.

"I'm afraid Penny heard something she did not like, and misunderstood it."

"And what did she hear?"

"A friend and I were discussing Pandora, nothing more. At any rate, after overhearing us, she stole a motorcycle and fled, accidentally initiating the defence programs of several of my machines in the process."

Pandora. The name was cropping up all over the place. The events of the amusement park earlier involved Pandora somehow as well. Why was everybody talking about it, when so little was known about it also?

Caius could feel that Ironwood knew more than he was willing to let on. A simple discussion of Pandora couldn't have led to Penny fleeing in such a way.

Before the detective could ask anymore questions, the phone rang. Caius had almost forgotten about it. Ironwood pressed a button, noting that the call had come engineering, the second floor.

"Excuse me a moment."

Torchwick's voice came through.

"_Mr. Ironwood, we require your input. Could you be so kind as to join us for a spill?"_

Torchwick had attempted to sound casual when he recorded the message, but now that Caius could hear the message being played back, he sounded completely normal.

Ironwood sighed.

"I'm afraid the engineers would be lost without me. I'll be with you in a couple of minutes."

For a split second, Ironwood sounded as arrogant as Caius originally thought he was. The larger man stood and swiftly walked away, towards the elevator in the other end of the hall.

Finally, some alone time. Torchwick's recording and phone manipulating device had worked like a charm. Caius didn't waste a second, and as soon as Ironwood left his sight, he slid over the desk, and started rummaging through the drawers, looking for anything that piqued his interest.

Ironwood's files were put together very meticulously in alphabetical order. Some papers listing details of the AK-170 droid came first, with the word 'obsolete' stamped over each of them. It would appear that this factory is currently building a replacement for these droids. Skipping through the less important files, Caius came to a stop at the 'P' section, searching for anything related to Penny or Pandora.

He found nothing about either. Perhaps this drawer only contained files on standard machines and projects. Caius put the papers back the way he found them, and opened the next drawer. This one contained papers on future prospects, including designs for upcoming machines. Looking through the 'P' section again, he found details on the Paladin, a fascinating looking human controlled machine.

Finding nothing of importance, Caius pulled the handle of the third and final drawer, but only to find it locked, a bronze keyhole under the handle. He scanned the desk and found no key, leading to the assumption that Ironwood kept it on his personage. Caius shot his hand into his inner pockets, taking a moment to find a thin, elegant bobby pin, one of several tools that came into his possession after his mother's death. He pressed it into the lock, twisting it and re-inserting it several times, until he heard a click.

This drawer seemed far more promising. There were no clichéd labels such as 'top secret,' but the contents must have been locked away for a reason. He snatched some papers, conscious of his time limit.

First, he read through a file titled 'Steele performance evaluation.'

'_Despite initially starting as a failure, Steele has shown the potential to achieve an aura, much like Penny. In order to ensure that an aura has the potential to grow, Steele will be deployed on a regular basis, beginning with hunting for Pandora, and capturing Penny if possible.'_

It went on to list Steele's features, such as interchangeable and adaptable weaponry, limited vocal communications, and a wireless visual uplink to some monitors in nearby production plants. An image clipped at the bottom showed Steele, which Caius identified as the same monstrous being that was sighted a couple of days ago, after its chase with Penny. He would have to ask Penny for some information on this thing.

The next paper detailed Penny herself.

'_A resounding success in terms of design, combat ability, and social interaction, Penny successfully trumps the prototypes and initial creations. Although her personality can be seen as awkward and odd, I have no doubt that she will become more akin to a real girl in time; however, it would be preferable if her social interactions were measured. Penny's escapades over the past year have given her the impression that she is ready for the real world.'_

Caius was reminded that Penny became involved with the fight against Thane last year. He noted the use of the pronoun 'I,' suggesting that Ironwood wrote these updates himself. He didn't have much longer until Ironwood returned, and swiftly checked the last of the three files. This one didn't mention any kind of machines, appearing to be a letter that had yet to be sent.

'_The deployment of the Paladins will be delayed, my friend, seeing as certain groups are intent on stealing some for themselves. That group affiliated with the White Fang has gained my attention, but until I get some proof, I'd rather not move against them. For now, defeating the White Fang will take priority, but I wouldn't be surprised if they took themselves out at this rate. Their leader is not the smartest ape, if their recent activities are any indication._

_As ever, thank you for your continued cooperation, Schnee. I have a plan in mind for dealing with the White Fang and the threat they pose to us both, but if you have any suggestions, feel free to put them in your next response._

_-Ironwood.'_

Schnee? It was common knowledge that Ironwood and the Schnee Corporation worked together regularly, but if both of them were planning to take out the White Fang, no doubt Caius' allies would have to help. And if that happened, battles against the criminals and the machines would be waged everywhere. Cinder was right to be suspicious of Ironwood.

The letter had been lying next to an envelope, suggesting that the manufacturer intended to send this letter the old fashioned way. Maybe he didn't like the way scrolls could be traced. Caius put everything back how he found it and closed the drawers.

When Ironwood returned, Caius was standing by the window, looking outside.

"Sorry about that, Caius, false alarm. Curiously, the room I got the call from was empty."

"Sounds like somebody around here enjoys pranks."

Ironwood picked up his glass and joined the detective.

"It wouldn't surprise me. Sadly, those I employ have a certain disdain for me."

"Do they feel as though the machines you create are superior to them?"

"Could be the case. I value my employees, and I don't want them to feel inferior, but there isn't much I can do to change their feelings. Nevertheless, did you have some more questions for me?"

Actually, there was one thing Caius had a burning curiosity about.

"You mentioned Pandora earlier. I don't suppose you know anything about it, do you?"

Ironwood thought for a moment.

"Ah, the White Fang in the amusement park today demanded it, didn't they?"

"Correct. Myself and the rest of the police force are trying to acquire information on Pandora. If the White Fang were driven to such lengths to obtain it, who knows how far others will go? It would be better if it was kept in our custody."

"Point well made. I'm aware of the Hephaestus cult, a group obsessed with the item, and they have become increasingly rowdy over the past few days. It seems they believe Pandora to be some kind of wish-granter, brought about by Ember the grand fire summoner. Myths such as these always become the talk of the town for a while, but if the White Fang held a siege and demanded it…"

"…Then it may be more than a myth. There must be evidence to its existence that we are unaware of for now."

"I'm sure it's only a matter of time before that evidence is brought to light."

Caius checked the time on a simple clock on the wall. It was getting quite late, about the time his allies would meet in Junior's bar. The detective turned, facing Ironwood, and offered his hand.

"Thank you for your time. I'll leave you to your work, and rest assured, Penny's background will be confidential knowledge."

Ironwood shook his hand, and Caius made for the door. The manufacturer was sitting down when he called out again.

"Just one thing, Caius."

Caius put a hand on the door frame.

"Yes?"

"Something you said earlier hit a wrong note with me."

Caius didn't panic or feel anxious. Whatever he had said wrong, he was positive that he could make an excuse for it.

"Oh?"

"You mentioned that Penny stopped by the local police station, and told you that I assisted in her creation."

"That's right."

"I have made a public announcement that I am looking for her. In that case, why have the police not brought her to my attention? Why did you not bring her with you tonight?"

Of course it would have been on Ironwood's mind. The man had earlier told Caius about how he wants her to return.

"We require her statements-"

"It sounded as though you already have her statements." Ironwood stood, pushing aside his seat. "What did you call me, Caius? Perfidious? You're not exactly an honest individual yourself, are you?"

"Please understand, Mr. Ironwood, that we could not in good faith give you Penny after your machines attempted to destroy her."

They met, face to face, as Ironwood asked the question Caius had hoped to avoid.

"Why would the police care if they knew that she was a machine made by myself? Show me your badge, Caius. Prove that you belong to the police."

They were both silent for a moment. Slowly, Caius reached into his inner pockets, looking for the only item that could get him out of this safely.

"Very well."

And from his pocket, Caius produced his police badge.

Caius unfolded his memento from his time on the force, many years ago, dispersing the golden logo of the police to reveal his identification. His picture showed a much younger Caius, without the grey hair and wrinkles, but still possessed his deep turquoise eyes. It stated his former position of head of field investigation from over eighteen years ago.

Ironwood was stunned, at a loss for words. He must have been positive that Caius was not an officer, although he didn't know that he was correct. Caius had abandoned the force long ago, but liked to keep his badge as a reminder of the time spent alongside his mother, who was the head of the entire police force before she died. It was when she died in the line of duty that Caius decided to become a private detective, if only to put his family's mind at ease.

"My… My apologies, Caius. I didn't intend to disrespect a veteran officer such as yourself."

"No harm done. Have a nice night, Mr. Ironwood."

Caius turned and left, his long coat whipping around.

* * *

Ironwood sighed and closed the door to his office as Caius entered the elevator. He sank into his seat, annoyed with himself for speaking to a highly experienced police detective like that. This called for another glass of rum.

Although, it occurred to him that Caius still didn't tell the whole truth about Penny's location. He mentioned that the police wouldn't feel safe with passing her over to him, but why? They knew that he created her, at least partially.

He decided to call Ozpin and make some amendments to his notes on Penny. Maybe it was a flaw with her AI that was stopping her from returning to him herself. He sipped his drink and called Ozpin, bringing his scroll to his ear.

"Oz, it's been a while."

"James, my friend, indeed it has. Did you have a pleasant trip to Vale?"

Ironwood pulled a key out of his pocket and put it inside the keyhole in the third drawer.

"As pleasant as could be expected when my favourite…"

His attention was pulled to the drawer. It was already unlocked.

"…Something the matter?"

He opened the drawer to find his files all in place.

"Nothing, nothing at all. Anyways, my favourite cantankerous machine has unfortunately run wild, and I can't seem to locate her."

Ironwood had a bad feeling. Caius must have looked through these files when he was distracted with the call from the engineering floor. But Caius couldn't possibly have known that the call would come, unless he set up the false call himself.

"Would this machine happen to be the curious orange haired girl? She has made the news recently, from what I hear."

"You know her?"

"I believe I saw her last year, when she was involved with the business involving Thane."

"Ah, that. Yes, she makes a habit of going on adventures without telling me, but the fact that she does this indicates that she is exercising her freewill, so I can't exactly complain… Anyways, did you find somebody for that teaching position?"

Checking the phone on his desk, his fingers brushed a foreign spherical object.

"Indeed we did, just today, in fact. You will not believe who accepted the position…"

Ironwood pulled off the small device from thee bottom of the phone. He crushed it between his fingers to reveal the wiring and construction inside, in order to discover that it was some kind of manipulation device.

"Damn…!" He couldn't help himself from shouting.

"James?"

"Sorry Oz. I'll have to call you back. Something just came up."

Ironwood hung up and pocketed his scroll without waiting for a reply.

Unbelievable. Caius didn't come here to discuss Penny at all. He came to investigate Ironwood himself. Was that police badge just a lie? Personally, the idea of the man looking through this locked drawer was not a pleasant one. If Caius was working with or for the White Fang, or any affiliated groups, then they would gain a significant initiative.

Caius needed to be eliminated.

Ironwood pressed a button on his phone, connecting him to the engineering wing.

"Is Steele operational?"

It took a moment for a male voice on the other end to respond.

"As I said, Steele is only at 40%-"

"I won't ask a second time."

"…Yes, he can move and utilise his targeting program, but his combat AI is barely functional, and he lacks any weaponry-"

"Put something in his hands, now, I don't care what it is. A man with a long coat and a hat is headed for the first floor. I want Steele to take him out immediately."

* * *

The doors of the elevator opened upon reaching the first floor. Caius reached for a fresh nicotine patch in his pocket as he stepped into the lobby, the receptionist now on the phone.

"I-I understand. I won't hang around."

The receptionist put down the phone with those words, and contrary to her earlier bored appearance, her eyes filled with alarm when she saw the detective. She cleared her throat, a drip of sweat dropping from her forehead.

"Is something the matter?" Caius' instinct warned him of impending doom, and hopefully speaking to the nervous woman would give him some insight on what form the doom would take.

"N-Nothing!"

She dashed away from her desk, entering a room behind her.

Dropping the nicotine patch back into his pocket, Caius swiftly made his way to the exit.

The sliding doors were opening when his surroundings began to shake, huge quakes getting closer and closer. He tried to run through the doors, but was too late. The floor of the level above him dispersed dust and other construction materials as it came apart.

Steele broke through the floor above and dropped in front of Caius, dead, grey eyes set on its target. It's huge, pale, bare chest lacked flesh, revealing the dull metal underneath, with a set of metal wires supporting its lopsided head, of which false flesh only covered half of. It only wore ragged trousers to protect its modesty. Grey, greasy hair fell over its face while it staggered towards Caius, dragging an enormous hunk of steel with a huge paw. Stray, sparking wires had erupted from its shoulder, and Caius remembered what Ironwood was saying before he entered the office. This thing was only 40% complete.

"…Enemy sighted…" It's deep, ghastly voice echoed through the factory.

Steele brushed aside debris as it lumbered towards Caius, the detective coming to grips with his opponent. Ironwood must have caught on quick if he had sent this disgusting being after him. Caius jumped backwards when Steele swung the two metre long iron, almost knocking his head clean off his shoulders.

Drawing his black revolver, Thor, Caius got down on one knee, bending both elbows, and took aim at Steele's head, firing several slug rounds. The loud bangs rang out over all other noises in the building, and the slugs struck the machine to very little effect. Designed to embed themselves in the target's body, his ammo only managed to scrape what little remained of Steele's fake skin, exposing the dull metal underneath.

With a frightening roar, Steele threw his weapon at the detective, making him weave to the left, and stabbing it into the wall. Caius had emptied the barrel of Thor and was rummaging for another ammo type when Steele slammed into him, throwing him through the wall.

Caius coughed and tried to get to his feet, wherever he had landed. It took a moment for him to realise that he was still moving, for some reason, and he then realised why. He was on a conveyer belt, directly in the middle of the production plant, where machines were undergoing construction. It was just ten minutes ago that Caius had thought of this place as a death-trap.

Keeping steady on the conveyer belt, surrounded by metallic limbs, the detective found his electric rounds, slamming the barrel into his revolver. Steele rushed through the hole he had just formed, making it bigger, and leaped into the production plant, shaking the moving belt and knocking limbs onto the floor below. He continued to stumble forward, breaking apart blowtorches and construction devices on the side.

Caius steadied his gun on his forearm, firing it with one hand. He pulled the hammer of Thor with each shot to rotate the barrel, letting the electric rounds fly into Steele's chest. Each impact sent jolts through his opponent, stunning him temporarily.

Jumping over the end of the conveyer belt, over a crusher, Caius grasped another belt on the level above him, hoping to use it run back to the entrance and escape. He grunted and pulled himself to the top and ran, fighting the tide of the belt. His would-be escape route was soon prevented, as Steele swung his weapon in a wide arc over his head, tearing apart the path in front of Caius, sending him tumbling down in front of Steele.

Caius dropped Thor as he flopped in front of the crusher. He had only a moment to see the threat as he was almost carried inside.

The detective wasn't sure of what happened at the time. A figure had jumped in front of him, grabbed his arm, and jumped away, on to the floor below.

He managed to shake away the rattling sensation, and got to his feet to see his rescuer.

"You!?"

It was the stalker, who, upon closer inspection, was a great deal shorter than himself. Their simple, brown clothing and hood still gave nothing away.

The soft jingle of Steele's metal neck support warned them that the fight had resumed. Caius pushed his 'ally' away, and rolled as Steele lobbed his weapon at them. The detective scooped his gun and slotted in another barrel of thunder rounds, aiming Thor with the help of his left forearm. His hooded companion was already climbing to the floors above when he pulled the trigger, sending volts coursing through Steele. The machine growled, not quite succumbing to deactivation yet.

Steele was forced to jump away, after nearly being carried into the crusher, and threw aside pieces of metal as he pounced to the conveyer belt above him, meeting Caius' ally. He heaved his weapon and brought it down, splitting their foothold in half. The stalker flipped backwards, and reached behind with the intent of drawing their weapon, but was forced to jump to the side as Steele charged forward. His target grabbed a heavy duty crane before they descended, and swung to the other end of the belt.

Caius scrambled to the original conveyer belt while his ally ran at Steele above him, still holding the end of the crane. As they passed Steele, they hopped over his huge, swinging paw and dug the crane into his shoulder before jumping away. His lopsided head tried to follow his target, ignoring the crane end, but his attention was grabbed by Caius, who emptied Thor's barrel into him. Snarling, Steele jumped down to meet him, his weapon stabbing into the belt. The detective jumped back in time to dodge a vertical swing that ripped apart their platform.

Now on his back and slowly being taken towards Steele, Caius gritted his teeth and loaded a final barrel into Thor. Two handing the weapon, he ignored Steele, and aimed for the control box on a railing linked to the crane dug in the machine's shoulder. His echoing gunshots pierced the controls, and fortunately accomplished his goal of activating the crane, even though shooting it probably was not in the instruction manual.

Steele was heaved into the air, screeching and hovering overhead. Caius sighed with relief and scrambled to his feet, watching him struggle to remove the crane embedded in his shoulder with such large hands. The stalker decided to help him, and jumped from a railing to Steele's head, kicking at the crane while hanging on to the chains.

The crane end came loose, and Steele was dumped into the crusher legs first. His roars shook the factory as he swung wildly with his weapon, his legs being slammed together. He managed to clog the machine with his dense metal legs, making it stop and trap him inside.

"…Ironwood kill, Ironwood KILL, Ironwood…!"

Steele screamed at Caius as he was joined by his ally in the hole leading to the lobby. The machine continued spouting the same two words repeatedly.

"Activate the new AKs, now!" Ironwood's voice could be heard through speakers in the factory.

Caius' new friend quickly took him by the hand and ran through the sliding doors in the lobby, exiting into the open air.

A couple of minutes later, Caius and the stalker rested in a dark alley, having gained some distance from the factory. Ironwood wouldn't risk making his machines run around Vale looking for them, especially considering how much of his reputation suffered a couple of days ago.

Overall, the visit to Ironwood's factory had yielded fruit, in Caius' eyes. He accomplished his job of discovering that the manufacturer had it out for Cinder and her group, including the White Fang, and he was working with the Schnee Dust Corporation to do so. He even found some scraps of information about Ironwood's current projects, Steele included.

Still, he would have liked to know more on Pandora. It seemed to be becoming a point of contention lately, and he didn't like being left in the dark.

It had been a long time since Caius had come that close to death, staring into the face of the crusher. Steele was only 40% complete and utilised makeshift weaponry. It would be a nightmare when 100% complete. Some form of thanks was in order, he supposed and he tipped his hat, which stayed on his head miraculously, towards the other person.

"My thanks to you. I can't say I appreciated your behaviour last night, but even so, you still saved my life."

The stalker removed her hood.

"No problem, Dad!"

It took Caius a moment to fully comprehend who was standing before him. He gazed into a pair of turquoise just as deep as his own.

"Nora!? Why!?"

Caius Valkyrie was looking at his own daughter. Nora stood, tilting her head with a small giggle.

"Hi, Daddy!"

* * *

Author's note- I know one person did, but who saw that coming?

You guys and girls would tell me if Caius was an uninteresting character, right? There are a lot of characters here, original and OCs, to give the spotlight to, so if I'm doing a bad job, I would love to know now. This has to be entertaining for you all, after all.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Author's note- The explosion of bumblebee fanfics wasn't quite as severe as I thought it would be after that last chapter. Blacksun on the other hand...

* * *

"Whatever happened to that stalker of yours?"

Torchwick puffed a cigar as he spoke, currently only joined by Caius and Junior in the bar, loud music blaring. Emerald, Mercury and Cinder had yet to arrive. Caius sighed deeply.

"She's on your right."

Torchwick and Junior glanced to the indicated direction, to see Nora speaking with Penny further along the bar. They both spoke excitedly, seemingly telling stories of what they did last year.

Junior touched his chin, thinking.

"Where've I seen her before…?"

The lights of the dance floor passed close by as Torchwick put out his cigar.

"Is she not the crazy girl from last year? One of them, away? Quite a distinctive eye colour, I couldn't help but notice."

The detective leaned back on the bar from his chair, casting his turquoise eyes over her.

"Yes, she's my daughter."

"How did she end up so…?"

"Hell if I know."

Junior took a swig from a glass.

"What the hell was she doing here last night? I mean, come on, why was she stalking her father?"

Caius corrected his hat's position.

"Understanding her motives is a Herculean task. Rest assured, she will not bother us again."

Nora broke a window in her escape last night. Caius supposed that he would have to foot the bill.

When considering Nora's point of view, Caius found it difficult to be annoyed by what she did recently. Fighting Mercury and Emerald in the club, breaking a window, starting a chase in traffic, destroying a chimney, and making the detective fall off a building was far from acceptable behaviour, of course. But after hearing her explanation, Caius felt a twinge of guilt and sympathy for his daughter.

Nora always held an optimistic view on life, but Caius' divorce with her mother was something out of her control. Not just that, but the divorce was incredibly lopsided, with Caius taking most of the blame. Throughout the proceedings, neither parent listened to how Nora felt.

It all turned out well in the end though, in Caius' eyes. On the way to the club from Ironwood's factory, she revealed that she didn't want to speak to her mother anymore, claiming that her father was in the right. Nora didn't acknowledge him when he visited Beacon in case her mother found out and 'bitched' at him for getting in contact with their daughter.

It was the same reason for her stalker persona. She purely wanted to check on him without either parent finding out, and when she was nearly caught last night, she took off because if she were caught, Caius may have gotten in trouble with her mother. Dishearteningly, she knew that he couldn't keep up with her.

Looking at her laugh with Penny now, one couldn't tell that she came close to crying a few minutes ago. For the past eighteen years, she only did so alone, or with Ren. Never with Caius. He knew he was a terrible parent. She deserved better.

"Still with us?"

Junior made him snap out of his thoughts.

"Yes, right." Caius cleared his throat. "The issue of my own daughter stalking me is now irrelevant. She knows nothing that will impede us."

"Huh. All's well that ends well."

Exactly what Caius was thinking.

Mercury and Emerald arrived next.

They both sat down silently. If they were worried, then they did an excellent job of hiding it. The siege of the amusement park today didn't quite go as planned, to say the least. Admittedly, they could hardly be blamed, and even Cinder herself couldn't get the students of Beacon to leave before the event occurred. There was a chance that she would be lenient on the duo.

Mercury didn't stay quiet for long.

"Cinder's gonna be here in a few minutes. She's just having a pleasant chat with Neo. Boy, here's hoping that Neopolitan doesn't melt under the pressure."

Torchwick gave an exaggerated laugh.

"Oh hoh, it's funny because ice cream! Good one, chuckles!" His sarcasm quickly ended with him taking a drink.

Mercury could have sworn that he saw Emerald smirking.

"I'm here all week. Now, if you'll excuse me, I couldn't help but notice that Penny has a cute new friend."

Caius could already see where this is going.

Mercury only made it a few steps towards Nora when he felt a revolver pressing into his spine.

"You touch my daughter, you die."

…

"…Actually, sitting with you guys is just swell."

Mercury retook his seat as Caius pocketed Thor. Torchwick had visions of Caius blasting holes in Mercury and chuckled under his breath, keeping his hat in place with a hand.

"Honestly kid, give it a rest. The only woman you have a chance with is the one next to you. I'm surprised we haven't already heard wedding bells."

Emerald took this personally.

"My standards are FAR higher than him!"

For a moment, nobody said anything, which was odd as they expected Mercury to retort somehow. Instead, he had become affixed on Nora.

"Em? Doesn't she actually look… familiar?"

Emerald took a glance at Nora, who still chatted with Penny.

"That's…! She was one of our enemies at the amusement park today! I fought her!" Emerald's eyes widened.

Caius spat water on the bar. Would it have killed Nora to mention that? First the event that happened last year, now this? Where the hell was Ren to stop these things!?

"Look, that's news to me, but Nora clearly isn't acting hostile to anybody here right now, so calm down, okay?"

Emerald appeared to be struggling more to hold her tongue and blade than Mercury, who sighed heavily and slumped into his seat.

"I don't care anymore. I mean, today's failure came and went. Em, thoughts?"

Emerald turned to him, somewhat irate.

"But… How can you just not care when she and her friends caused our failure?"

"Hey, she and her friends made today's proceedings a bit more fun at least, don't you think? I fought my new dance rival on a roving Ferris wheel. Doesn't happen every day, you know."

"Cinder burning us alive doesn't happen every day, either. In fact, it only happens once, and it could be today." She pointed a finger at him.

Junior inserted himself into their conversation.

"It'd be a blessing, but I doubt it. Cinder was with you two and you still couldn't stop them. Worst case scenario, you're getting a salary cut."

Torchwick finished his drink.

"Loathe as I am to agree, I'm afraid Junior is correct. Honestly, I'm not even sure why you pair get paid. And as for Caius' kid, you would do well to drop the topic. Seeing as she was last night's mystery invader, doing battle here and now would result in two hospital fees for us."

Grumbling under her breath, Emerald sat back down.

"We don't know that…"

Mercury recalled how easily Nora tossed them aside last night. Emerald must have been thinking about how she would be prepared to fight Caius' daughter, if it came to that.

It took a few more minutes for Cinder to arrive. Neo was nowhere in sight, but Torchwick knew that she wouldn't be far. Being around only when needed was a valuable trait for Torchwick.

As Cinder sat down next to Torchwick, the rogue ordered a new drink.

"I'm sure you won't mind me asking why you needed to speak to my henchwoman."

Cinder placed her order of a soft drink.

"A simple task, is all. None of your business."

"What my personal assistant does is entirely my business. If I gave a task to your half-wits, I'm sure you would want to know."

Mercury burst out laughing.

"Oh hoh, it's funny because we'd have one set of wits between us!"

"I'm confident it's the only way you can perform normal human functions."

"Ouch, got us. Anyway, it's not like we'd ever take orders from you without our brilliant and all powerful boss' permission."

Cinder cracked the seal on her drink, ignoring the obvious attempt to butter her up.

"Roman, if you're so concerned, then feel free to ask her next time you meet. Now, we're here to discuss something else entirely, are we not, Caius?"

Caius took a look at Penny.

"That we are, but if you don't mind, I would like Penny to join us. I believe she can shed some light on the information I found at Ironwood's factory."

Cinder clicked her fingers. Penny took note, and she and Nora quickly bounced over to them. Nora stood by Penny's side, not at all worried about joining the hardened criminals. The machine stood to attention.

"Salutations, my friends! How are you all on this fine evening?"

"Just fabulously, Penny." Cinder responded. "Take a seat. And who would this be?"

Nora put her hands on her hips and grinned.

"Nora Valkyrie, Huntress in Training! I remember you all!"

"Remember us?"

"Oh, well, I mean I wasn't a main character or anything, totally should have been, but I was there last year, fighting by your side!"

"I see… If you're hinting that you want a job, speak with Roman later-"

"-No!" Caius interrupted, not wanting his daughter to get involved with these people anymore than she did last year. "Nora, I'm afraid that this is a private meeting. I'll be with you in a few minutes, okay?" He put a hand on his daughter's shoulder.

Nora thought for a moment.

"Sure, Dad. Just like all the other times you had meetings when I was a kid. If only Ren was around to distract me, right?"

"W-What? No, it's not like that…"

Nora's arms were crossed, and she was looking away.

"It's okay, Dad. I know that the job is more important to you."

"Nora, I swear, this is one of those times when outsiders can't be around, that's all. I promise, we can catch up later tonight."

"…Promise?"

"Promise."

"Yay! Thanks, Daddy!"

Nora gave him a brief hug before disappearing into the crowd behind, looking for new people to befriend.

Caius cleared his throat, wondering if anybody would make a comment. Thankfully, the group decided not to talk about what they just heard. They understood the concept of not sticking their nose in his business.

"Sorry about that. Now, first, allow me to sum up what occurred at Ironwood's factory tonight."

The detective explained everything. He started with the initial conversation, where it turned out that Penny escaped from Ironwood after overhearing him discuss Pandora, which would be one of Caius' questions in a moment. After that, he recalled everything in the files locked away in the manufacturer's desk, including information on Steele, Penny, and finally the letter addressed to one of the Schnees.

Specifically, Caius went over the exact wording of the letter, which detailed a joint cooperation by Ironwood and Schnee to eliminate the White Fang. The letter ended with Ironwood stating that he had a plan in mind, but didn't state what it was.

"Hm hm…" Cinder chuckled softly. "I do so enjoy playing these sorts of games. If Ironwood and the Schnee Dust Company want to eradicate the White Fang, then we need a strategery to deal with them."

Torchwick shrugged.

"Have you already thought of one?"

"Of course not. You're going to."

"Of course…"

Caius continued and finished with his encounter with Steele, listing the grotesque machine's strengths and combat capacity, ending simply with Nora saving him and both escaping.

"In other words, and my apologies, but I believe that Ironwood is feeling the pressure now, and might move against the White Fang quicker as a result. He certainly didn't like the idea of somebody snooping around his drawers."

Cinder sat in contemplation for a minute, processing the information and coming to any possible solutions.

"Penny."

"Yup?" Penny straightened.

"Two questions. First, who or what is Steele? Theoretically, you should know more about it than anybody else."

"I don't know much about Steele…"

Penny hiccupped.

Everybody looked at her suspiciously. Cinder broke the silence.

"Could you repeat that?"

"I don't know- *HIC!*

Mercury eyed her, putting a finger to his chin as though trying to make a grand deduction.

"Damn, she's too good at lying. If only she had a tell…"

Penny scratched her head nervously, ignoring his sarcasm.

"Well, Steele isn't super important… See, I once had a lot of brothers and sisters, and Steele was one of them."

Brothers and sisters? Caius' semblance kicked in and his subconscious picked out a phrase from Steele's report. '_Despite initially starting as a failure, Steele has shown the potential to achieve an aura, much like Penny.'_

"These brothers and sisters of yours were failed attempts at making a special machine like you, weren't they? Steele was one of them. Humanoid in appearance, if it could be classed as that, and a vocal module that allowed it to engage in social interaction."

"Ah…" Penny seemed a little surprised at his deduction. "That's right. But Steele was the best attempt at making a machine with an aura, after me. When Dad realised that I was everything he was looking for, he destroyed all of our brothers and sisters, except Steele. Over the past couple of years, Dad made a lot of adjustments to him, trying to give me a brother that has all of my abilities."

Maybe that was why Penny was always trying to attach herself to others in relationships. They didn't know how many 'brothers and sisters' Penny had, but their destructions must have left a hole in her heart. Tragic.

Penny sighed heavily. They had never heard of such a thing from Penny, and having decided that they gained enough information on Steele, Cinder asked her second question.

"Second, what was it you heard that made you flee from Ironwood?"

Everybody had the question on their mind after listening to Caius. At this stage, Penny had only ever mentioned that she wanted their help in taking down Ironwood.

"Oh, yeah, that…It was really weird at first, but then I played it back in my memory unit, and I realised that it was really bad. He was speaking on the phone to somebody."

"Don't keep us in suspense."

"My Dad said 'Don't worry Schnee. When we obtain Pandora, Beacon will be our testing ground. Nothing will remain of it.'"

* * *

In the end, it turned out that Penny truly left because she was concerned for her friends, who all resided in Beacon. She wanted the criminals' help in defeating Ironwood for their safety.

The meeting ended with the group being indecisive regarding their next move, to such an extent that they didn't even discuss the events of the amuesment park today. The truth of the matter was that none of the criminals cared about the welfare of Beacon, but they were concerned with Ironwood having an item that could supposedly wipe something like Beacon off the map. But If Pandora had that kind of power, then the Hephaestus cult could be a large threat if they owned it, seeing as the group was obsessed with the item.

That was an interesting thought. The Hephaestus cult would theoretically own Pandora first, considering their devotion. How would Ironwood get his hands on it?

However, all of these thoughts were trivial in the face of their biggest problem about Pandora; their lack of knowledge. It was only last year that the world came under threat from a series of powerful items. What were the odds of a repeat this year? Pandora must serve another function instead of destruction, something they hadn't considered.

Still, midnight had almost arrived, and Caius and Nora headed back for the detective's office, having brought a sleeping bag for the young woman tonight. Regrettably, Nora had to buy it herself, as Caius had nothing but flies in his wallet. What sort of father couldn't even provide such a simple provision for his own child?

Nora threw the sleeping bag to the floor as Caius shut the door. It looked just as rundown as it did this morning, with a messy desk, basic items, and few furnishings. At least it was warm, despite a light rain now tapping at the windows.

"I'll see you in the morning, Nor."

He hung his hat and coat on a peg, making his way to his chair. Nora crossed her arms, eyes slightly narrowed.

"Dad…"

"Hm?"

"You said we were gonna talk after your work."

Caius glanced away, scratching his head.

"Ah…"

Nora, in a slight fit of ennui, huffed and lied down in her pink sleeping bag.

"Forget it. You've probably got a busy day of work tomorrow. Like always."

His daughter pulled the bag over her head, completely shutting him off.

Caius hadn't realised just how much of a fool he had been over the past eighteen years. It was a miracle that she even followed and joined him over the past 24 hours, but no doubt only to see if he had changed as she got older. She had probably given up entirely by now.

Caius knew nothing about maintaining a family, having learnt nothing from his mother on the topic. His partner on the force told him that he would pick it up as he went along, but unfortunately, he never did. His wife tried her best to get him involved with Nora, but he failed, choosing to work on a multitude of cases, spending as much time away from them as possible. He had turned up to parents evenings at his wife's behest, but hardly paid attention. In hindsight, it was the stupidest possible decision. Instead of facing his failure as a father, he just focused on his own, selfish goal.

He was in his late forties. Too old to fulfil that goal now. If there was one thing he could do now with his life, it was to make amends with his daughter.

"Have you broken anybody's legs yet?"

Slowly, Nora withdrew from her bag to look at him.

"Huh?"

"Your mother always told you to do it, despite my wishes. I'm just curious…"

Nora sat up, sensing that he had actually made the effort to start the conversation.

"Well, Ren said that I could get expelled if I did it outside of sparing, so…"

"…So you'll have to do it in battle and make it look like a complete accident?"

"Yeah! I mean, accidents happen all the time!"

"'Atta girl."

Nora giggled like the child she used to be.

"Dad, did you get worried when you heard about that thing last year?"

Caius put his feet on the table.

"I didn't know about it until it happened, but as long as you didn't get your arm cut off like that kid mentioned yesterday, I wasn't worried. You haven't lost a fight in a long time, from what I hear."

"Damn right! And, like, sorry about not talking to you yesterday."

"It's okay Nor, really."

Nora brought her arms around her knees.

"Yeah, but…"

"Your mother doesn't want me near you. That was the point of you checking on me without trying to be seen. Really, you should be listening to her."

"But Mom's wrong. You're not a bad person, Dad."

"But I was a bad parent."

Nora stayed silent for only a moment.

"Why? Why did you two get divorced?"

Caius leaned forward on the desk.

"You're certainly old enough for me to able to give it to you straight. Your mother couldn't put up with my selfish antics anymore. I've told you about your grandmother, haven't I?"

"Yeah. She was the head of the entire police department of Vale, and one of the best detectives ever, before that."

"That's right. A top detective, unparalleled in field work. Nobody could surpass her. Me, her son, included. My life has been spent trying to measure up to her, and I've failed."

"Oh… so, you always worked instead of being with me and Mom because you were…"

"Trying my hardest to live up to her name. When I first joined the police, everybody expected me to be the prodigal son, every part her equal. I quickly let them down, but I never stopped trying. I made her teach me everything she knew, but even then, the task was impossible. She always made deductions quicker, always used her tools more effectively, and always caught the criminal before I even finished that first step."

Nora listened carefully, gazing up at him like a child admiring their hero.

"She died about the time I was born, right?"

Caius nodded.

"Just over eighteen years ago. At that time, the murmurings of her name and mine were worst. Your grandmother is remembered as a hero. I was nothing but a passing thought to everybody in the police department. So, I left the force and became a private detective, where nobody cared about my name as long as I got the job done. Of course, your mother was annoyed because my income took a severe turn for the worst, but I made enough from various jobs. But the worst part was that even though I tried to forget about my mother's legacy, it still ate at me. That's why I preferred work over you and your mother. That's why she had enough of my crap and divorced me. That, and I never bothered trying to improve as a father."

Caius had ended up staring at the ceiling, slightly swivelling his chair, listening to the rain outside. He had played these events in his mind long enough for them to not affect his emotions anymore.

Nora tapped her finger to her chin several times.

"Huh… Hm… Ah…"

Caius glanced at her curiously.

"What is it?"

"If all of that's true, then why didn't you just send me back home instead of letting me stay with you now?"

"Because I'm old, Nora." After saying as such, he touched his cheek, feeling his wrinkles. "I failed my one goal in life. At the very least, I want you to understand that I do care about you. At the very least, I'm going to make amends for how terrible of a father I used to be."

"Dad, you were never-"

"-Don't say something like 'You were never a bad Dad.' I know what I used to be, what I am, and what I'm going to be. A bad Dad, a man looking to make a change, and in a few years, a body in a casket."

Nora quickly pounced to her feet, pointing a finger at him.

"Like hell! You're not that old! C'mon, stop being such a freakin' downer! I'm gonna stay with you and make sure you're even better than your mother!"

"Nora-"

"Nope! No! Not listening! You're not too old to accomplish your dream, Dad. I'm gonna help you, in what could possibly be the best father-daughter bonding activity ever."

Caius threw his head back.

"Bloody hell, that was a quick decision. Aren't you at all angered by my behaviour these past years?"

"We're wiping the slate clean. Whatever you're doing, I'm helping you with."

"Heh… Who knows where you got that attitude from? Alright, you can accompany me. I was thinking along the lines of us meeting when you have free time, though. What about Beacon?"

Nora shrugged.

"I'm sure the Headmaster won't mind if I take a few days off…"

"Hey, your potential as a huntress is still nascent. You can't throw away your own future for…"

Caius stopped, as he remembered Penny's repetition of Ironwood's words this evening.

'_Don't worry Schnee. When we obtain Pandora, Beacon will be our testing ground. Nothing will remain of it.'_

He paused for a few seconds, playing the words over in his mind.

"…Dad?"

Caius snapped back to reality.

"…Never mind. You can join me."

"Yippee!" Nora threw her arms around her father, pulling him in for a hug. Caius smiled truly for the first time in years.

* * *

Adam felt incredibly out of place.

Blake's face held a combination of joy, fear, and anxiety when he gave back her scroll at the amusement, having finished his conversation with Ozpin and told her the news. She didn't believe it. Some of her friends, who he recalled from last year, cheered and celebrated. Katil and Norn gave surprised expressions. Adam is a master of the sword, the previous leader of the White Fang, a traveller…

And starting tomorrow, a teacher at Beacon Academy.

He thought of it as a good idea at the time. He would earn some Lien, and have a roof over his head, as well as being close to Katil, Norn, and Blake. Not only that, but every now and then, he would become the target of many angry Fauna who believed he should have stayed as the White Fang leader. No doubt they would think twice about attacking him out of the blue now. This position gave him many advantages.

And yet, standing in Ozpin's office with Ozpin and Goodwitch, facing everybody involved with the amusement park siege today, he somewhat regretted his decision. It was just… weird. He wasn't much older than these students.

Ozpin rested on his cane, sipping his coffee. The gears still turned overhead.

"Where is Ruby and Nora? I believe I requested everybody's presence."

Yang raised her hand.

"Ruby's still sleeping after exhausting herself making an ice storm with Weiss today. She'll prolly' wake up tomorrow."

Everybody naturally looked towards Ren for Nora's location. He shrugged.

"I… honestly don't know. And if I don't know, then nobody will."

Ozpin put his mug on the desk.

"Hm. Never mind. You can simply pass on that I give my congratulations for stopping the White Fang earlier today. The sheer volume of damage caused may have been… extreme, but nevertheless, I expected nothing less from my students. Ah, Yang, I have a question for you."

Yang jolted up a little in surprise.

"Oh, uh, sure…?"

"I would rather not ask him this myself, but do you know approximately Qrow's income?"

"Well, he makes enough to get by, I guess…"

Ozpin looked over his shoulder at Goodwitch, and they both nodded. She tapped her scroll several times, sending the bill for repairs to Qrow.

With a bill successfully dodged with no guilt whatsoever, Ozpin continued.

"Now, all of you are aware that starting tomorrow, you will all officially be second year students. And as such, you are will be required to undertake simple missions across this continent."

The students all gave silent expressions of joy, pumping their fists or jumping repeatedly, excited for the missions. Katil and Norn remained stoic, unsure of their situation. The brown themed cat Faunus raised a hand.

"Sir? Does that include our team? I mean, we're only just joining tomorrow, technically."

"Yes, Mr. Klinge, your new team included. Meet with me tomorrow where we can have a more in-depth discussion about your duties."

"Sweet!" Katil swung his metal fist into the air. Norn coughed.

"Sir, where's the rest of our team?"

"Ms. and Ms. Malachite are in your dormitory. They have already been informed."

The mention of the Malachite twins caused a stir amongst the students, especially Yang. The blonde stroked her hair.

"So, they did get their spots in Beacon, then… Good for them, I guess. Looks like school life just got more interesting."

Weiss flicked her ponytail.

"The red dressed one is easily tolerated, but that arrogant, uptight, egotistical one in white-"

"-Reminds you of looking in a mirror?" Yang interjected, sniggering.

"Quiet, Xiao Long."

Katil quickly spoke.

"Melanie's not that bad. She's just a bit proud for her own good."

Weiss completely ignored him, crossing her arms.

"Yang, when did you and the sisters first meet?"

"Okay, you're still a bit mad at me for abandoning you last year, got it."

The topic moved back to missions. Everyone figured that they could resolve their own feud. Ozpin mad moved about, placing his cane on a rack of other canes, observing them carefully whilst speaking.

"You will be the first of your year to be offered a mission, as all of you became involved with a particular item, although you may not have noticed or remembered. It is known as Pandora."

Adam looked up at him, but said nothing for now. Norn rolled her eyes, her, Adam and Katil having been involved in a fight with the Hephaestus cult lately.

"This oughta be good… So, what's the job?"

"Your mission, should you choose to accept it, which you will or you will be expelled, is this; Gather information on Pandora and the Hephaestus cult. That is all."

Norn's tail drooped.

"That's it? Any danger?"

"Potentially, this could be a dangerous mission, depending on how you as teams choose to handle it. Specifically, there are several points that must be uncovered; The leader of the cult, Pandora's abilities, and Pandora's location. Make no mistake, this cult is obsessed with the item religiously. Aggravating them in any way could lead to your life span being reduced drastically. As in, reduced to nothing. Take care."

Jaune gulped.

"Okay… Do we have any information to work with?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. I'm certain you all recall the four warriors of the last century, Thane, Arc, Minotaur, and Ember."

The mention of Thane's name sent chills throughout the group. Blake gave a quick summary.

"Those four warriors were the discoverers of Dust, and were responsible for the ending the war with the Grimm last century. The quad ended up in Vale, where Thane single-handedly killed Minotaur and Arc, before being sealed in a broken mirror by Ember. She was technically the only survivor of the heroes, and is thought to have spent her remaining years caring for her children."

"Wrong. Ember seemingly embarked on another adventure and accidentally inspired the Hephaestus cult in some way."

"…Well, I don't see a need to rub it in my face…" Blake murmured.

Ozpin sat on the edge of the table, unsheathing a new cane to reveal a thunderous blue blade, and started polishing it.

"This is only based on the cult's ramblings in their rallies, as they were broadcast over the news. They worship Ember as the 'Grand Fire Summoner,' calling Pandora her last will and testament. That is where our information ends."

A little information is far better than no information, they supposed. Pyrrha raised a hand.

"But Sir, Ember was only relevant a century ago, and as such, Pandora must have been created or discovered in a similar timeframe. Why is the cult only obsessing over it now, one hundred years later?"

"We wish you luck in finding out."

"Well, that's… Thank you, I suppose." Pyrrha shrugged.

"Tomorrow is a regular school day, but on the following day, you may begin your mission. Do not let us down."

One by one, the students began to file out of the office.

Sun and Neptune had been present the entire time, but they had been completely forgotten about for the duration of the meeting. They both stood, dumbfounded by most of what had just been said.

"You know Neppy, it's awfully rude of them to forget that we don't know a freakin' thing about last year's events."

* * *

Everybody agreed to talk about their plan for the mission tomorrow, after lessons, and went their separate ways for the night.

Katil and Norn hurried to their dormitory to meet Miltia and Melanie. The cat Faunus threw open the door to find their new living locale occupied by the pair. Their possessions were already scattered about the room, the cream walls magnifying Melanie's cosmetics and Miltia's simple hobbies, including, to their surprise, a game console under the television hanging from the ceiling. The four beds were lined up against the wall opposite a large window, its red curtains closed.

Neither Miltia nor Melanie had the time to react as Norn dashed in, scooping them up in a hug.

"I missed you girls! Would it have killed you both to stay in touch?"

Melanie, turning blue, pushed her away and landed back on the bed. Norn placed Miltia on the ground, keeping an arm around her shoulders. Melanie scoffed.

"In all fairness, you both took off for Menagerie. Not like it matters now that we're all here and in the same boat."

"Same boat?"

"We're not going to be official graduates seeing as nobody here attended the first year. We're just here for three years to get something to throw on our résumés."

Katil corrected her quickly, raising a hand as he inspected the room.

"I was here for the first year."

"You were here for about three weeks and left."

"Point taken. Still, this is as close to being hunters and huntresses as we'll ever get."

"And it's good enough for us. We didn't want to work with our Dad forever."

Norn and Miltia both sat down on the same bed, the dog Faunus wagging her tail.

"Your Dad? What does he do?"

"You've probably seen him once, but it doesn't matter."

Miltia brushed pieces of food off the bed from when Velvet visited earlier, although it may have been a cover-up to touch Norn's tail.

"What did you two do since we beat Thane?"

Becoming interested in the twins' decorations, Norn joined her brother in inspecting the room.

"This and that, taking down pockets of White Fang, working part time jobs, paying our respects to our parents, all sorts. Adam just did whatever he wanted."

"You mean that man with the mask? I always found him rather scary…"

"He's different to how he used to be."

Katil glanced through Melanie's cosmetics.

"I don't know what half of this stuff even does. Volumiser? Does that make you louder or something?"

Norn pushed beside him.

"Of course not! Volumiser's the stuff that every girl around here has around their eyes, right?"

Melanie appeared to be a little dumbstruck by her lack of knowledge. She changed the course of the conversation.

"…Anyway, we're thankful to have a couple of friends now. Miltia is friends with a Faunus from Signal, but other than that, I wasn't sure of our chances of making friends with anybody around here."

"What about everybody we met last year? I thought you knew Yang?"

"…Can we not talk about her? Still, I doubt they're interested in us. We didn't have too much of a role last year."

"Hey, you don't know that. Just join us for breakfast, and if it doesn't end with somebody bleeding to death, you'll be golden. Just try and act nice. You didn't leave a good impression on the princess."

"Nobody leaves a good impression on the princess, from what I hear."

Katil slumped onto his bed on at the end of the room.

"You can definitely leave a lasting impression, though. She still hates me for something I did last year."

He could still remember vividly how he chose to leave Weiss behind to help with the chase of Thane. He had spent many nights awake, thinking of it. If he chose to help Weiss, Thane wouldn't have severed his arm.

"Ever going to tell us how Thane slashed your arm off, by the way?" Melanie asked, as though she were reading his mind.

"Eh, stuff happens."

"Thank you for the factual response."

Miltia fixed her gaze on his metal arm.

"It actually looks pretty stylish, though…" She mumbled under her breath.

Melanie stood and approached her desk of items, pulling open a drawer. She took out a bottle of some kind of hard alcohol. Katil knew very little about alcohol, but could tell that it was strong. Melanie reached for a bottle opener.

"Drink, anyone?"

Norn eyed her curiously.

"Is alcohol even allowed here?"

"Yes." Melanie lied. Norn looked to Miltia, who shook her head.

"She stole it from Dad before we left…"

"Nark." Melanie exclaimed as she opened the bottle. "I know what answer to expect from Norn, but Katil, ever drank before?"

Before Katil could answer, Norn cut in.

"Are you saying I'm the type of gal who drinks regularly? How rude!"

"Do you?"

"Yup."

Katil sat up.

"I haven't. It never appealed to me before, but I'll take a glass, if only to try it."

Melanie retrieved three glasses, and poured the drink. She passed them out to Katil and Norn, and sipped her own glass. Miltia, from a mini-fridge next to her game console, pulled out a fizzy drink.

"Somebody's not sleeping tonight." Melanie commented.

Katil sniffed the hard alcohol like a cat curious of its sustenance.

"Before our Dad died, I remember him saying that his discovery of alcohol made his life turn for the worse. Let's see if I do any better."

Throwing caution to the wind, he took a gulp from the glass.

It took less than a second for Katil to gag and throw the glass to the floor, sprinting for the bathroom. The girls could hear him coughing and spluttering.

"Our leader, everybody!" Norn shouted. Miltia giggled and Melanie smiled in amusement.

After a while, Katil returned, pale and with flopping ears.

"Mil, got anything else in that fridge?" Miltia tossed a can to him. "Cheers."

They all settled back down on their beds.

Melanie and Norn drank as though there was water in their glasses, amazing Katil, but not so much that he was inspired to try again. The white dressed girl sighed.

"It just came to my attention that we'll be working with everybody Norn mentioned soon, in a couple of days. Guess I'll have to get along with them no matter what."

"Yeah, the mission with Pandora and the Hephaestus cult. Teams RWBY, JNPR, Sun's team, and us."

Norn crossed her legs, thinking.

"Speaking of team names, what's ours?"

The quad carefully considered that point. Melanie summarised their names.

"Katil Klinge, Norn Klinge, then Miltia and Melanie Malachite. Have fun with that, Ozpin…"

"Don't all the team names relate to a colour, or to something with a vibrant colour?" Katil asked. "A RWBY is a red gemstone, a JNPR is a blue berry, a CRDL is a red bird…"

Norn thought of something.

"Two of us are brown themed, one is white themed, and the other is red themed. Maybe we're going to be based on Neapolitan ice cream."

"A girl like that already exists." Quipped Melanie.

"Well, either way, whatever name Ozpin comes up with, it'll probably be badass and comply with the naming conventions."

* * *

Adam sat down with Goodwitch and Ozpin. Currently, he was flicking through the list of teams in Beacon, memorising them for future reference. He came to a stop at his friends' team name.

"…KaMMiK…? What in the hell is a Kammik?"

"A word I made up." Ozpin said. "If you can think of a better name with those initials, I would like to hear it."

* * *

"No doubt." Katil finished his drink and tossed the can into a bin by the door.

"Back on topic, how much do we already know about the Hephaestus cult?" Melanie led the conversation.

"They're a bunch of nutters." Katil said simply. Norn agreed fervently.

"We had a bit of a run-in as we left Menagerie, and boy, that was an understatement. They were staging a rally, running around, shouting stuff about the radiance of Pandora and how everybody should join them."

"Would have helped if they told us what Pandora actually is. I respect all religions, but they were completely over the top."

Miltia fiddled with her can quietly.

"I'm interested in how Ember fits into this."

"Yeah…" Katil's eyes lit up as he recalled something. "A girl I met at the rally mentioned Ember. Thinking about it, I should've just asked her."

Norn put her empty glass beside her bed.

"Oh, the queen of the nutters?"

"Cheers was her name, I think. Wonder whatever happened to her…"

"What happened when you last saw her?" Melanie asked.

"I punched her into the ocean."

"She's probably fine, then." The sarcasm was clear in her voice. Katil just noticed how wrong that sounded.

"I mean, I pulled her out afterwards, of course. With any luck, she just got arrested or something."

Norn rolled her eyes.

"Kat, what did I tell you about jinxing these things?"

"There's no such thing as 'jinxing,' Sis."

* * *

Adam had more or less understood the rules and regulations in Beacon, now knowing how to administer discipline.

"I know my schedule, I know what to do in the event of a fire, I know how sparing works… Anything else?" He sounded hopeful that there was little left to learn.

"There's still much to learn."

"What could possibly…!?"

Goodwitch sat straight, swiping at her scroll as always.

"Have no fear, however. A man of your caliber will 'surely' learn the ropes as he progresses."

"Your tone of voice suggests otherwise. In fact, it sounds like you're mocking me."

Ozpin turned in his chair.

"Now, now, you two. Adam, a few lessons will be all it takes for you to discover your teaching style. Have faith."

Adam leaned back, creaking his chair.

"There's just one thing I want you both, and the other teachers, to understand."

"Go on."

"The honest truth behind my decision to teach here is that this job has many perks, some of which may not be obvious to you. I have my own agenda to accomplish in Vale, and there will be times when I disappear, for what could be hours or days. I want nobody to question this, especially considering that the answer would not be… nice."

Ozpin narrowed his gaze, bowing his head slightly.

"So long as what you do does not harm the innocent, I will accept your condition."

"Don't worry. I will only try to see justice done, in my own way."

Ozpin had a suspicion that it involved hunting the White Fang, but he didn't dare press the topic any further.

"Very well. Welcome aboard, Adam Taurus. And now, I believe we are at a good stopping point for tonight-"

Goodwitch interrupted.

"Before we disband, I have found a candidate for the position of your assistant."

"Oh? How fortunate."

"Her qualifications are much inferior to Teedic's, but under the circumstances, she is ideal for the position."

"Her name?"

"Cheers Bright."

Ozpin stretched.

"An optimistic name. Nothing could go wrong with an assistant, I suppose."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Author's note- My delays are getting longer, aren't they? I'll try and be quicker in the future.

* * *

Katil woke up with a scream, waking the other members of KMMK.

His bed was fairly close to Melanie's cosmetics, and he jumped out of his bed into the cabinet, knocking over the various perfumes and vials, making them break as Katil crouched in the middle of the chaos. He clutched his mechanical arm, where it joined to his flesh, gasping in agony.

The Malachite twins peered over their beds to see him slowly getting to his feet, not looking back at them. His breathing became panicked, but otherwise, he appeared to stabilise quickly, perhaps from experience from this event.

"Sorry 'bout that." He spoke solemnly and entered the bathroom, no doubt in his mind that he had probably awoken their neighbours as well. After he closed the door, the trio of girls stayed silent for a moment, until Melanie glanced at Norn, who remained lying down and staring at the ceiling with her hands behind her head.

"…We're getting an explanation for that, right?"

Sighing, Norn sat up, revealing that she slept in a simple dark brown tank top.

"It's nothing to worry about. He's just had something called 'phantom pain' ever since Thane cut his arm off. Adam tried to explain what it was, but I can't deal with science stuff like nociceptors or brain waves."

Miltia shot up.

"Nociceptors are a part of the cutaneous receptors, which in turn is a part of the somatosensory system. Nociceptors in general are used for acknowledging external painful stimuli-"

"Millie, do you really think anybody understands you right now?"

"Probably not…"

Miltia sank back under her covers.

Norn clambered out of bed, reaching under it to obtain her school uniform. Like her normal clothing, her uniform was a size smaller than it should have been. Instead of a skirt, she opted for the boys' trousers. She got dressed behind a folding screen in the corner of the room as Melanie spied her sister.

"Miltia, get up a moment." The girl in the red dress sat up in bed, which was exactly what was odd. "…Miltia, why did you sleep in your dress? There's a folding screen right there."

Miltia held her arm nervously and looked away.

"W-Well, I mean, there's a boy living here, so…"

Melanie slid to the floor and retrieved her school uniform. She slept in a large white shirt.

"Katil talks big when it comes to girls, but he hasn't got the guts to try and sneak a peek or anything disdainful. It's her you should be worried about."

Norn whistled to herself as she got dressed, throwing her tank top over the top of the screen. Miltia slowly stood on the floor.

"Yes, I forgot about her…"

After a moment, Norn appeared, fully dressed. A hole in the top of her trousers was most likely cut out to make room for her tail, and her shirt slightly exposed her stomach. A boy's blazer hung loosely on her shoulders.

"You know, I never got why girls have to wear skirts and jackets."

Katil finally left the bathroom, colour returned to his face. He slept in a pair of slacks and a light brown shirt.

"What's on the agenda for today, then?" He wanted to forget what they saw a minute ago. "I need to see the headmaster this morning, so does someone mind taking notes for me in class?"

Norn reached into her pockets and dug out a crumpled piece of paper, her timetable.

"We've got Adam teaching our first class. What's the best way to screw with him…?"

She began meticulously planning for the duration of Adam's lesson as the rest of KMMK changed.

Melanie and Miltia wore the standard uniforms for girls, as Katil adorned a standard boy's normal uniform, with the exception of his blazer being worn on his shoulders similarly to his sister.

"Let's go meet our buddies, shall we?"

* * *

"Weiss?"

"Yes Yang?"

"Wanna hear a joke?"

"Déjà vu…"

"Huh?"

"Nothing. Proceed."

"Yesterday, I read a book about anti gravity. It was impossible to put down."

"Yang?"

"Yes Weiss?"

"Get out."

Teams RWBY and JNPR sat at a table, eating in the main hall. Ruby finished her glass of milk and put it on the table as she looked at a sheet of paper.

"Yes!" She pumped her fist into the air. "Adam's teaching us!"

Blake's ears wriggled under her bow.

"Is that so? Perhaps he will pass out cyanide pills and instruct us on…" The rest of her statement became a mere mumble. She hadn't quite forgotten how he so willingly let the White Fang leader at the amusement park end her life. Only Ren heard her, and changed the topic away from Adam.

"Professor Oobleck is currently away for reasons unknown. Perhaps our afternoon lesson will be spent in sparring practice."

"In that case, let's see if we can get a match-up between us and you guys." The eight turned their heads to the source of the voice.

Katil sat down next to Ruby as the rest of KMMK joined them. Jaune responded to the cat Faunus.

"A team battle on your first day?"

"Hey, why not?"

"So, you've already got combat tactics? Well, you're more organised than me on my first day as leader."

"Combat what-now?"

Or not. Melanie rolled her eyes.

"Come on, leader, you know what's involved in leading, don't you?"

Katil's eyes shifted nervously.

"O-Of course I do! I, uh, have a ton of tactics though out…" He quickly began eating his tuna sandwich.

Weiss pushed her plate away, having finished her apple.

"Excuse me." She briskly walked off, carrying her folder of work. Melanie watched her exit the hall.

"What's her problem?"

Katil swallowed his sandwich.

"She just hates me, nothing special." He pushed past the topic. "So, you guys remember the Malachite twins, right?"

Yang swept up Melanie in a tight hug.

"Aw, how could I forget you guys?"

"Unhand… me, you brute!"

Melanie pushed away from Yang, who started giggling.

"Don't be like that, we're good friends, aren't we?"

"No."

"Well, let's see if your sister has anything to say."

Miltia glanced up in surprise.

"Despite everything from last year, I'm afraid I don't want to be your friend…"

Yang's eyes widened, perhaps having expected Miltia to be more positive.

"Really? Why not?"

"The way you punched me through a glass decoration one time really hurt…"

Miltia appeared genuinely hurt just remembering the event, even baring puppy dog eyes.

"Oh, erm… I'm… sorry?"

"Are you really?"

"Of course! Come on, how can I make it up to you?"

"I heard that the rice pudding here is pretty good."

"Wait here, I'll go steal someone's!"

Yang jumped up and ran off in search of a rice pudding to steal. Everybody watched Miltia, who sat silently and ate her cereal. They couldn't believe, and were scared of, how she managed to manipulate the group's toughest fighter into doing her bidding.

"Even Nora couldn't pull off crocodile tears of that magnitude…" Ren whispered to nobody in particular, reminded that his best friend was still missing.

As the remaining group continued with their breakfast, Katil had become increasingly aware of Ruby staring at his metallic arm.

"Ruby? You're drooling."

Ruby snapped to attention and wiped her mouth.

"Heh, sorry."

Katil took a napkin and wiped down his arm.

"I'm glad you're interested in it, 'cause I wanted to ask you something."

"Me?"

"Seeing as you're the weapon buff around here, how do you think this thing could be better?"

Ruby snatched his arm and pulled it towards her, nearly ripping its attachments. Katil had to plant his feet into the ground so that he didn't fall into her lap.

"First, you could integrate a reciprocating piston and attach it to a sharpened end for a jackhammer-like effect, followed by impact Dust installed in the knuckles because everybody likes explosions, and then your real arm could use a signal giving glove to manage and switch between its features-"

"Sorry, I don't speak weapon."

"I could turn it into an explosive jackhammer."

"Let's meet up later."

The pair agreed quickly.

After a moment, Yang could be seen in the distance throwing Russel Thrush to the floor and stealing his rice pudding. The rest of team CRDL backed away, unsure of what to do, as Yang ran back towards them. Miltia took the rice pudding gratefully.

Katil's scroll started ringing. He took it out to look at a text message from Ozpin, asking him to meet at the headmaster's office.

* * *

Ozpin sat and stared out of the window, resting his head on his clutched hands.

Somewhere out in the wide world, Pandora laid hidden, waiting to be found. He had intended to discuss it with Ironwood last night, but the manufacturer cut off the conversation before they could get to it. He would try again tonight. Ironwood was one of the few people in the world powerful enough to try and find it, and as hunters, they should do everything in their power to obtain the item, in case it wielded destructive powers.

"Coffee, Sir?"

Ozpin turned in his seat to see his new assistant.

Cheers hadn't completely forsaken her bright colour scheme, even whilst wearing a smart uniform. A shining tiara still adorned her blonde head, the ponytail of which rested on her shoulders. She fiddled with the buttons on her white blazer, maybe not used to wearing such apparel, and wore a completely mismatched yellow skirt that allowed her golden fox tail to move freely, with light grey boots that reached her knees. Ozpin noted the boots as an expensive brand, similar to something that the Schnee heiress would wear.

"If you please. I must say, your attire certainly matches your name, Cheers Bright."

"I found that if the shoe fits, it's easier to wear it. Dark colours are just so bleh…"

Cheers put his mug under a coffee maker, activating it. Ozpin noticed a small emblem on her tiara, depicting a sun rising over what appeared to be a fox. She really made those shoes fit.

"Feel free to call me Ozpin. Amicability is essential when working together."

The fox tailed Faunus offered him his mug.

"Will do, Sir!" His brown eyes met her green eyes. "Just kidding, heh…"

Cheers stood by with a wagging golden tail as the doors to the office opened. Ozpin was about to greet Katil, but instead, Goodwitch and Teedic entered. The nervous, long blue haired assistant stood behind the professor, who glanced at Cheers.

"You certainly arrived quickly."

"Punctuality is super important, right?"

"I would word it more eloquently, but yes. I should also mention that your skirt is largely improper for your new line of work, and a business dress is far more appropriate."

"But I don't wanna look like an old woman…" Cheers pouted.

Goodwitch's hand was already on her crop when Ozpin gave a chuckle.

"Come now, Glynda, her aesthetics are fine as long as she feels comfortable. You may wish to take up the same thought process with your own assistant."

Teedic gave no reaction to the statement, instead standing with his hands in his lap. His boss adjusted her glasses.

"I will consider it, Sir." Whether or not she took it to heart was up for debate. "I simply came to give professor Oobleck's report on a certain something."

"Oh?" Ozpin knew she was talking about Pandora, but felt uncomfortable about discussing it around Teedic and Cheers.

"He encountered a most unusual enemy during his research."

"Who would this be?"

"Ironwood's machines."

Ozpin stayed quiet for a moment. That was most certainly unusual.

"…We shall discuss this later, when Bartholomew and Peter have arrived."

He definitely needed to speak with Ironwood again.

"I assumed as much. We shall take our leave. Adam may require supervision for his first lesson."

Goodwitch and Teedic turned and walked towards the door, leaving the room.

Ozpin looked at his scroll to check the time. Katil should be arriving soon.

"Cheers, please make another drink for our next visitor."

"Sure. Say, your friend there just called you Sir, right?"

"Indeed. I'm afraid that Glynda is rather stoic in both attitude and work ethics."

Another knock sounded out, and Katil entered.

"Katil, please take a seat." Ozpin remained seated and sipped his coffee.

"Thank you, Sir." Katil did as instructed, not checking the rest of the room for anybody else.

The headmaster picked up his scroll and swiped it repeatedly, taking him to team KMMK's summary.

"Katil, as leader of team Kammik, you will-"

"-Kammik!?" Katil interrupted with a shout. "S-Sorry, but is that a real word?"

"No." Ozpin said bluntly. "Now, you spent some time last year in the company of teams RWBY and JNPR, and as such, you may be aware of some of the tribulations involved in leadership, having seen Ruby and Jaune. Using Ruby as an example, she has created combat tactics involving various pairings in her team. Jaune is efficient in raising morale and encouraging his allies to complete their work. I believe you have the traits necessary for leadership, and you are expected to carry your team as they do, through whichever means you decide upon."

Ozpin paused as Cheers approached from behind Katil, holding a mug of coffee.

"Here ya go!"

Cheers passed Katil the mug from over his shoulder.

"Thanks." Katil looked up at Ozpin's new assistant. "GYAH!"

Katil broke the arm of the seat as he jumped, cat ears on end. He spilled the coffee over his shirt with his descent, as Cheers took a step back in surprise.

"Are you okay!?" She seemed worried.

"Y-Y-You! You're the loopy girl from Menagerie!"

Cheers looked down sadly, gripping an arm. Ozpin nearly chastised Katil, but she spoke too quickly.

"Loopy…? But I don't even know you…"

…

"…What?" Katil wore an utterly confused expression. "Don't give me that, you're definitely Cheers. Don't you remember that fight? I punched you into the ocean?"

Ozpin narrowed his gaze.

"Katil, each sentence you speak to her is causing me to lose more respect for you."

"I know that sounds bad Sir, but she started it!"

Cheers brought a finger to her eye, wiping away a tear.

"I don't know you! We've never met! And to think that the first thing you said to me was that I was loopy…"

Katil scrambled to his feet.

"No no, no no no, you can't possibly turn this around on me. What happened to you being obsessed with-"

"-Look, you clearly have the wrong person in mind! You should think a little before insulting others."

Cheers turned her back on him, leaving Katil confused and unsure of himself. Ozpin brought an end to the discussion.

Ozpin had read a file on Cheers overnight, and discovered that she had been diagnosed with a mental irregularity from a young age. She must have taken the insult seriously.

"Katil, apologise. It is the decent thing to do."

"But…But…! She's freakin'-"

"I will not ask you again."

Katil took a deep breath.

"Okay. I'm sorry. I… I guess I have the wrong person…?" He didn't sound too sure.

Cheers whipped around and gave a captivating smile.

"It's super fine!"

Whistling as though nothing occurred, she began her task of organising Ozpin's desk, allowing the pair to continue their discussion.

* * *

Adam took a deep breath, preparing for the world of teaching. Surely nothing would go wrong on his first day. Famous last words, Norn would say.

Throwing open the doors to the spacious classroom, Adam found his students already seated and waiting for his arrival. Every single student he had seen at the amusement park was present, including teams RWBY and JNPR, and Sun and Neptune, along with their other team members. Even the rabbit Faunus and her team were present, along with the three remaining members of team KMMK.

It felt silly to Adam that he was about to teach Norn, considering that they has spent many years alongside each other in the White Fang. Surely there was nothing he could teach her.

This wasn't strictly 'his' classroom, but it would be his base of operations, so to speak. Most lessons of his would be taught in this large classroom, the front area of which was built like a small arena, with his desk and blackboard lying just before it. The seating arrangement beyond the arena was similar to any other classroom, with rows of chairs and tables. Its overall design also resembled the sparring arena, with a faint blue hue.

All eyes cast themselves on Adam as he paced down the small flight of steps to his desk, wearing his usual clothes. His and Blake's eyes met briefly, but neither gave anything away.

"Good morning class. As I'm sure some of you are aware, my name is Adam Taurus. I'm not interested in formalities, so just call me Adam. Any questions before I begin?" Almost everybody raised their hands. "Any questions that don't involve my time as the leader of the White Fang?

Everybody lowered their hands, except for the rabbit Faunus. Katil may have mentioned her once.

"Mr. Former White Fang Leader?"

"…Yes?"

Adam had not intended to put venom in his voice, but even so, the meek girl shrank back, as her classmates remained silent, perhaps out of fear.

"Um… Did we need our weapons for this class?"

"Your weapons? Why would you need…?" Adam's train of thought derailed quickly, as his mind struggled to make sense of the question. It seemed that an important piece of information was absent from his knowledge.

"Sir?"

Adam cleared his throat. Nearby, Blake's chin was in her palm, staring at him lazily. Her face plainly said 'You don't know what you're doing, do you?'

"Can somebody please assist me for a moment?" He let a moment pass, as Ruby and Norn raised their hands to offer their assistance. "Blake, thank you for volunteering."

Blake's eyes widened in surprise, as Ruby and Norn slumped back in disappointment. The cat Faunus rolled her eyes and slowly left her seat, walking towards Adam's desk. The pair faced away from the students and spoke in hushed tones.

"…What, Adam?"

Adam pretended to look busy by glancing through the papers on his desk.

"…What am I doing?"

"You mean that you aren't performing an improv routine?"

"Funny."

"My friends often tell me that I shouldn't lose my sense of humour."

"Look, Goodwitch neglected to tell me this, but what am I even teaching?"

"Assassination? Bomb handling? Suicide?"

"You need a sense of humour to lose it, Blake."

Behind them, the rest of the students had begun chatting. Blake sighed and cocked her head.

"This is a combat instruction class. Theoretically, you should be teaching us combat manoeuvres and teamwork, as well as strategies to use against powerful enemies. There should be someway for you to create holograms in this arena in order for you to pit us against them. Don't you think you should have planned this in advance?"

"I think I know what's best for my class, now sit down and let me play with the holograms."

Walking away with a shrug, Blake rejoined her team mates.

Adam toyed around with a control panel on his desk, making lights appear in the arena behind him. Various holograms popped into existence, including an Ursa Major, a pack of Beowolves, and a Death Stalker, not that he noticed them. They vanished as soon as others were created, eventually ending up with a Nevermore. Walls that provided cover and elevation also rose from the ground, turning the area into a network of awkwardly positioned blocks.

How did this thing work? The silver panel was lined with buttons with very worn labels, making them as useful as Braille instructions for an eye test. Adam pressed them repeatedly, hoping that he would gain some insight.

"Uh, Boss?"

Adam temporarily looked away from the panel to see that Sun had his hand raised.

"What?"

"You know, I'm not that good with holograms, but don't they still cut down your aura when they hit you?"

"That's right. They stimulate your aura to make it think that you're taking damage, weakening you. Why?"

"Well, shouldn't you have called someone down to fight that thing before you get shredded or something?"

Adam turned on the spot to see that the virtual Nevermore he accidentally created hovered over him, flapping its wings. Instinctively, Adam very slightly moved his head to the left to avoid a large feather that became one with the table, doing no damage to it.

"Funny you should say that. Sun, get down here."

Sun didn't scoff in annoyance as others would, and smirked, hitting his fists together. He leaped down and landed with a roll next to Adam. The feathers tossed by the virtual Nevermore faded into nothing, as the mimic beast flew overhead.

"Alright Boss, what's the plan? I mean, I've got no weapon or anything, but hell, I'm always raring to go!"

Screens positioned all around the arena displayed both of their auras, and the integrity of the hologram.

"Nothing fancy. It just needs to be killed. Bring it down, if you would."

Sun slammed his hands together, producing an orb of light. Seconds later, a pair of phantasms stood at his side, awaiting their commands. Perhaps with some kind of thought process, they understood his intentions and ran forward, climbing on the blocks and walls thrown around in the arena. Adam remained still as Sun dashed forward, pursuing the clones.

The Nevermore began to circle the area, scouting its targets. The clones lifted Sun as he reached them, hurling him into the sky to catch the Nevermore by its neck. He raised his hands, ready to seize it.

The fact that holograms couldn't be physically touched was a point that Adam neglected to mention, only because it slipped his mind as well. They reacted to weaponry, but not people themselves.

As such, Sun became bewildered when he passed through the Nevermore, still travelling at quite a clip, so much so that he panicked and grabbed a monitor at the rim of the roof. Gravity quickly took effect, and pulled him back to the floor as he still held the monitor, ripping it from its supports.

Adam dashed away as Sun and the monitor clattered into his desk and blackboard. The corner of the screen penetrated the silver panel on the desk whilst it broke apart, summoning a wide array of virtual foes in the arena. Team JNPR stood and backed away from the front of the area, as the sparking monitor burst into flames.

Blake's head rested on the desk when Goodwitch burst into the room with Teedic.

"Adam, what in Remnant are you doing!?" The professor didn't look amused.

Sun broke out of the wreckage and ran with a scream, his tail having caught fire. Neptune jumped down and tried to put out the fire, but accidentally ran into a birtual Death Scallion, and was now running alongside Sun to get away. The holograms invaded the seats, and students ran away, screaming. Yang tackled a Beowolf to the floor in her escape with Weiss and Ruby. Blake sat still, giving Adam the same 'You don't know what you're doing, do you?' expression, ignoring the chaos.

Adam turned and gave a nonchalant shrug to Goodwitch.

"Ms. Goodwitch, it's rude to interrupt my lesson when I'm still discovering my teaching style..."

* * *

"So then, what was Adam's lesson like?"

Armed with a wealth of information from Ozpin, Katil joined Norn and Sun in the main hall. Everybody from the first year remembered this room as where Ozpin once stood and gave a speech. They were out of lesson unusually early.

Sun stood with his arms crossed, a moody expression written on his face. His clothing was charred and his tail became blackened. Smoke still poured from his now-dark face.

"Does it look like it went well?"

"Huh… Wish I was there."

Norn shook her head. Nobody knew what happened to Adam after everybody ran for their lives.

"No, you don't. Say, you got a little spot on your shirt."

Katil looked down to see the enormous coffee stain that arose from his surprise encounter earlier.

"Tch, this'll take forever to get out!"

Sun threw his arms into the air and left, another puff of smoke leaving his blackened clothes. Norn and Katil were left to continue their conversation.

"I didn't know you liked coffee."

"I don't, I just took it out of courtesy. And guess who offered it to me?"

"Someone suffering from muscle spasms?"

"No. The crazy girl from the rally in Menagerie, Cheers."

"Ooh, interesting." Norn sounded intrigued, to Katil's dismay.

"No, not interesting! Creepy! Real creepy! How did she even get here…?"

"Maybe she's stalking you or something."

Katil paced back and forth.

"Yeah, right. Why would she be- GYAH!"

Katil pointed to the other side of the room, past a crowd of people. Norn followed his line of sight to see Cheers, approaching them with a cheery smile.

"Now that I'm looking at her again, I wouldn't mind her stalking me…"

"Could you stop being a pervert for a second and-"

Cheers reached them faster than expected. The fox Faunus bounced between them.

"Why hello there again, Mr… Klinge, was it?" She flicked through her scroll. "Sorry to disturb you on this beautiful day, but the headmaster has requested a hair sample from each of you."

The cat Faunus didn't look convinced.

"A hair sample…?" With a sharp gasp, Katil backed away. "No way! I've read enough manga to know how minds like yours work!"

"Huh?"

"You're probably just gonna put it in a glass jar or frame it or something, right!?"

Cheers glanced away with a hurt expression.

"…Am I really not trustworthy? Here's a notice from the headmaster, seeing as my word isn't good enough for you."

From a pocket in her white blazer, she retrieved a finely folded piece of paper and offered it to him. With a sense of regret, Katil unfolded it.

'_My apologies for forgetting to ask this earlier Katil, but may the members of your team provide a hair sample for our records? –Ozpin.'_

The signature at the end could only have belonged to the headmaster.

"Ah…"

Cheers quietly took the note back, her watery green eyes turning red.

"Well, that's that. Honestly, why have you labelled me in such a way? For the last time, we've never met!"

Her sweet and innocent charm and tears made Katil feel instant guilt. She must have been lying, but still, she gave him the feeling that he severely wronged her.

Norn assumed that if Cheers denied knowing Katil, she would deny knowing her as well, but the dog Faunus still had a burning suspicion on her mind.

"Say, I'm gonna be serious here; are you… stable? Like, are you sure you're not nuts?"

Katil made a gesture at his sister telling her to retract the questions, but Cheers seemed happy enough to answer.

"Depends. What do you call Behavioural Variant Frontotemporal Dementia?" She responded with her trademark smile.

"A list of words I don't understand."

"Well, doesn't matter. Please pass your hair samples to me when you have the time. I'm in the dormitory closest to the teaching block."

With a cheerful smile, completely forgetting the apparently grave insult that Katil tossed at her, Cheers turned around and walked out of the hall, catching the attention of several boys in the area.

Norn leaned on the wall, crossing her arms.

"What do your mangas say about that?"

Her brother scratched his ears, just as confused as he was earlier.

"I'm not that much of a reader, actually. But she still creeps me out, for some reason. Like she's plotting something..."

A thought crossed Norn's mind, indicated by her tail pointing at the ceiling.

"You remember our mission tomorrow, right?"

"Course I do. Research Pandora, the Hephaestus cult, and etcetera."

"You know who around here would know more on it than anybody else in Vale?"

Katil groaned and tilted his head.

"A former member, I know. I'm surprised Ozpin doesn't."

Norn lifted off the wall and began to stroll away.

"I'll go tell everybody else. We'll visit Cheers tonight, okay?"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Author's note- It's been a while since I've updated, I know. I needed to take a break because I was getting tired of doing the same story for so long, but I'm back and ready to start writing again.

* * *

"_Claws died. We went from the mine to the side of the cliff, and he killed Claws. I cut Thane in half for Cinder, Jaune and Adam to finish. Claws' body was never found."_

"_Ruby has told me that Claws was shot three times in the heart. Such a series of wounds would leave very distinct scarring, don't you think? Somebody may recall a Beowolf with such injuries in the local area."_

_In order to ensure that an aura has the potential to grow, Steele will be deployed on a regular basis, beginning with hunting for Pandora, and capturing Penny if possible.'_

_As ever, thank you for your continued cooperation, Schnee. I have a plan in mind for dealing with the White Fang and the threat they pose to us both, but if you have any suggestions, feel free to put them in your next response._

"_I'm aware of the Hephaestus cult, a group obsessed with the item, and they have become increasingly rowdy over the past few days. It seems they believe Pandora to be some kind of wish-granter, brought about Ember the grand fire summoner."_

'_Don't worry Schnee. When we obtain Pandora, Beacon will be our testing ground. Nothing will remain of it.'"_

Caius sifted through the information in his mind, organising the statements he had heard over the past couple of days. He considered the process entertaining, as he played with possibilities and theories regarding the mysteries surrounding the past year and Pandora. Of course, he had nowhere near enough information to pass judgments and solutions, and some of these clues might not even be as relevant as he might think, but when the time came to solve these cases, he would be ready. One way or another, the facts will piece together when the time was right.

From a speaker nearby, Lisa Lavender gave regular reports of an event taking place.

'The Hephaestus cult currently resides in the town of Pithos, the originator of the rumours of Pandora. Reports indicate that Pithos has been split into two divisions, one held by the cult, and the other by the machines of James Ironwood, who claims to be attempting to protect the residents of the town by the cult. As of now, the cult is giving statements that Pandora is close at hand…'

"Daaaaad…"

This news report sounded like something he should be listening to, but he couldn't ignore his daughter.

"Yes, Nor?"

"You said I didn't have to go back to school."

Evening fast approached Vale. Hanging in the sky, Caius, Nora and several strangers sat in the airship taking them to Beacon.

"You don't, but we actually have an agenda here." The detective adjusted his hat.

"Is that tasty?"

"It's a word. I need to speak to a few people is all, then we'll return to Vale for the night. Try not to be seen by your teachers, by the way. The last thing I need is a professor calling me about your absences from class despite being seen at school."

"Sure thing."

Caius' scroll started ringing. He brought it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Once again, it's me. I won't stop calling until you take my case-"

Caius hung up on the woman's voice.

"Who was that?" Nora asked.

"An idiot, no one important."

Caius was no baby sitter. He had enough trouble keeping Nora in one place right now.

Over the course of the day, the father and daughter had simply wandered Vale, looking for various leads, but in actuality, Caius just preferred to work at night, hence why evening was approaching before they decided to go to Beacon.

Nora leaned back in her seat, swinging her legs in boredom.

"Hey, Dad? I don't think I know everything that's happened so far. Or if I did, I forgot." She scratched her head with her tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth.

"Yes, that's more likely." Caius sat next to Nora. "Very well, I shall summarise the events of this case from my perspective so far.

"My side of this story began with me being hired by Cinder's faction for two purposes; To track Thane if he still lives, and to identify any threats to her group. On that same night, Penny had survived an encounter with a foe called Steele, and came to Junior's club seeking assistance with a certain something.

"The next day, I came to Beacon to ascertain more facts about Thane, where your red caped friend told me of Claws, a Beowolf with an aura, who was killed from three shots to the chest on the same day that Thane was defeated. As Thane can possess anything without a soul, it is likely that he would use Claws' corpse as a means of escaping from under your noses. Ozpin ushered me out of the office shortly after.

"I then returned to Vale, where you started following me. On that same night where I failed to pursue you on the rooftops, I discovered that Penny wanted the help of Cinder and her comrades in defeating Ironwood, as she heard that Ironwood wanted an object known as Pandora, some sort of wish granting object, and would test its capabilities on Beacon, the home of her friends. What Pandora is truly capable of remains to be seen, if we ever actually see it at some point.

"The next night, I met with Ironwood personally, posing as a police detective. My goal was to retrieve information on Penny and Pandora, as well as confirm Cinder's suspicion that he was a threat to her. She was correct, as Ironwood is planning to eliminate the White Fang, of which Cinder is allied. Steele's name also came up in his files, and that grotesque metal beast is undergoing repairs and modifications in order to obtain Pandora and Penny. It should also be noted that Steele is a failed prototype of Penny, his original purpose being to be a machine with an aura. It seems that Ironwood still hasn't given up on that, however.

"After all that, you saved me from an encounter with Steele, and we returned to the club, where we then found out what Penny heard that made her flee from Ironwood and oppose him. She overheard him say '_'Don't worry Schnee. When we obtain Pandora, Beacon will be our testing ground. Nothing will remain of it.'" _It would seem that Ironwood and one of the Schnees are working together, but to what end and why they must do so is currently unknown."

Caius took a breath. If he still smoked, this would be the time to take out a cigarette.

Nora sat still for a moment, as though mimicking Caius when he tried to logically put information together.

"I knew it…" She whispered.

"Hm? Did you think of something?"

"Weiss is totally evil!"

Nora pounced out of her seat pumping her fist into the air as others on the airship glanced in her direction.

"…What?" Her father failed to see her point.

"Ironwood is working with a Schnee, and the only Schnee that could be is-"

"-Weiss' father, the head of the Schnee Dust Company, which is working together with Ironwood in machine production. Being the owner of said company, he would have the power and influence to help Ironwood destroy the White Fang. Also, when one of them retrieves Pandora, they apparently want to test it on Beacon, and I can't see Weiss wanting to target her home."

"But… Why would her father?"

"Something tells me that papa Schnee isn't the type to care about his daughter or her academy. I bet the younger of the Schnee daughters can't wait to get away from him."

"Oh, that makes… Wait, huh!?" Nora appeared gob smacked. "Weiss has a younger sister?!"

"A documentary on the company revealed that the head has two daughters."

"So how do you know it's a younger sister?"

Caius crossed a leg, putting a few fingers to his lightly stubbled chin.

"Because Weiss is the current Heiress. If Winter Schnee was older, then she would be the Heiress, not Weiss. Of course, this is assuming that the inheritance process labels the eldest, and therefore the more experienced, as the inheritor, but I see no reason for it to be different."

"Ah, the logic of a detective…" She sat back down. "Okay, now I've got everything you know stored in my noggin for the next hour. But I sorta forgot what me and my friends did recently…"

"Ask Ren when we get there."

* * *

"Ren, tell me everything you know!" Nora spouted rapidly, pointing a challenging finger at Ren.

The students of Beacon gathered in the sparring hall for the evening, watching matches between teams and individuals take place. Adam presided over the battles, although he wasn't listed on the timetables to be doing so today. Perhaps Goodwitch forced him to take extra shifts for his failings in his class today.

Ren, Pyrrha and Jaune sat with teams RWBY and KMMK on the front row seats, the other two teams lost in their own conversations. Nora's lifelong friend stared at her for a few seconds.

"Pi is equivalent to 3.1415926, magpies are the only birds that recognise their own reflection, sloths take two weeks to digest their food, men have nipples because everybody is female until the Y chromosome activates-"

"Woah, woah, wait a minute. You found out that about sloths but didn't find out what noise they make?"

"When I searched, I only found videos of baby sloths making silly baby noises."

"That counts!"

Pyrrha interrupted their interesting conversation.

"I believe we are getting sidetracked. Nora, where have you been for the past night and today?"

Nora put her hands on her hips with a grin.

"Resolving daddy issues and helping with an investigation where the whole academy hangs in the balance. Deceit, betrayal, conspiracies, top secret projects, revelations, this case is gonna have it ALL!"

The trio stared at her blankly, until Jaune spoke up.

"So… Are you gonna be here at all?"

"Nope. Now, for investigationative purposes, I need to recall everything that we did recently. And Ren, don't get smart this time!"

Ren sighed, although a small smirk formed in the corner of his mouth.

"I assume that you're working with your father, so if this saves him some time, I'll explain our recent activities.

"You could say that for us, this event began a few days ago when Katil, Norn and Adam were still in Menagerie. While there, the Hephaestus cult staged a parade of some kind to promote Pandora, which they believe to be a wish granter. Although we currently know little about it, they claim it to be the last will and testament of Ember the Grand Fire Summoner, who you may recall was a key individual from the last century, as she sealed Thane in his glass prison. As of right now, the cult does not have Pandora, and we don't even know what it truly does or even looks like.

"For some reason, Katil was reluctant to talk about Cheers, a fox Faunus he met at the rally, but she somehow ended up here as Ozpin's new assistant. Nevertheless, at the same time this happened, we as a group planned to go to a new amusement park in Vale. We went there the next day, and encountered Sun and Neptune along the way. As we were having fun, the White Fang rudely entered the fray.

"Joined by Katil, Norn and Adam, our ensuing battle did not result in any new information, other than that the White Fang wanted Pandora, and Cinder was present with them. We can conclude that Cinder and her two companions, including my new rival called Mercury, is working with the White Fang. Later that day, Ozpin called us to his office. He assigned us the mission of finding more information on Pandora, the item of the White Fang's desire. At the same time, it was also revealed that Adam became a teacher of Beacon.

"Honestly, I would feel safer with the task of finding Cinder and the White Fang, but I suppose this task is the next best thing. If Pandora is enough to cause the White Fang to hold civilians at gunpoint and demand it, then it clearly warrants finding. Katil gave us the lead of Cheers, who resides in a nearby dormitory. Being a former member of the Hephaestus cult, she should have adequate knowledge. We as a group will see her tonight, and decide on our actions tomorrow."

Ren stopped. The other two teams had been listening as well, but didn't interrupt the speech. After a moment, Jaune cleared his throat.

"You uh, see that Mercury guy as your rival? I didn't think you were the type of guy who likes the idea of rivalries."

"Much time has passed since one has matched my footwork. I vow to see him defeated before me." Ren clenched his fist, remembering how their contest ended in a draw.

"You mean footwork in battle?"

"…Well, if he wants to fight again, I believe it would be quite enjoyable."

The dance master returned to his unspoken state, leaving the others confused.

Pyrrha looked down on her scroll. Presently, she was listening to a radio report focused on Pandora, told by Lisa Lavender.

'Our live report team now tells us that the cult has resumed its digging into various areas of Pithos. They believe that Pandora can be reached before midnight, but this remains to be seen.'

Down below, team CFVY defeated team SSSN. Sun and Neptune along with their teammates limped away, the monkey Faunus giving a slight bow as though to say that it was a good match. Neptune waved them goodbye as they left.

Adam seemed much more in place in a battlefield than a classroom, that much was certain. He swiped at his scroll as Goodwitch would.

"As expected of a third year team, team CFVY is victorious. Hopefully you all learned something from them."

In the front row seats, Ruby busily tinkered with Katil's mechanical arm, using a variety of tools that he didn't even bother asking the purpose of. She clearly knew what to do, however, expertly making incisions in the arm.

Hearing Adam, Katil's ears perked up in surprise.

"A third year team? Velvet's older than me?"

Behind him, Norn, Miltia and Melanie all adjusted their weaponry. His sister slapped him on the back.

"Hey, don't get intimidated. Older girls are better, anyway."

"That's a load off our mind…" Melanie whispered.

"Hang on a minute though; Didn't you two and Velvet go to the same school and graduate at the same time?"

Miltia responded, being Velvet's friend.

"Me and Mel were moved up a year."

"R-Really? And you weren't accepted into Beacon in the first year?"

Melanie flicked her hair, glancing away.

"We heard that some blonde and her sister got the last two placements."

If Ruby was listening, she didn't respond to them. Instead, she emptied a vial of red Dust precisely into a thin opening in the knuckles of the hand.

"There! Red Dust inserted!"

"Thanks. You've been a big help."

Katil looked at the modifications. The gleaming metal sported a pair of small pistons on both sides of the arm, allowing the fist to strike like a jackhammer, and at Ruby's recommendation, each knuckle held red Dust. Small incisions in the knuckles ensured that the explosions had an exit point, so that they didn't blow his hand apart, and Ruby had designed it in such a way that only a small quantity of Dust would be brought to the end of the knuckle with each hit, so that it wasn't all used in a single shot.

"The red Dust reacts to your fist hitting something, like a living being, but you've only got a limited amount. And the pistons activate with your adrenaline, like how your last design used adrenaline to power a single attack."

"I see. So it stores adrenaline and activates when it has enough, right?"

"Right, but the pistons can go through a reserve in, like, ten seconds or something, so you need to learn when its best to start your offence, and get a feel for when your arm is ready to go. You can't manually decide when the pistons activate."

Norn quickly cut in.

"It uses adrenaline? That thing's gonna be activated all night long."

At first, Katil didn't realise what she was implying, but then remembered her dirty mindedness.

"Shut up."

Ruby sat still with a confused expression.

"I don't get it…"

"It's better that way."

In the arena, Adam sorted through the list of teams, choosing the next combatants. The screens began to flash as he made his decision.

"The next match will be team KMMK…"

Katil flexed the joints.

"Time to put this thing to use."

Ruby jumped up excitedly.

"Awesome, because whoever you're fighting'll get pulverised to nothingness! I can't wait to see it!"

Adam flicked his scroll one last time.

"…Versus team RWBY. You both have two minutes to prepare."

Ruby slumped back.

"Oh, fudgecrackers…"

"You had to see that coming, right?" Katil commented as he and his team dispersed from the group.

Some seconds later, team KMMK lurked on one end of the arena. Norn spun a pair of wired bronze boomerangs, on loan from Beacon's armoury, between her fingers. Around them, the students fidgeted nervously, waiting for the new team to do battle with one of the best second year teams.

Norn brought the other three together.

"Okay, group meeting, everyone, c'mon."

KMMK formed a square. Katil clenched his metal fist repeatedly, looking forward to the battle.

"What is it?"

"…I don't know, isn't this what you're supposed to do when you fight together for the first time?"

"Helpful as always, Sis. Anyone smarter know what to discuss?"

Melanie tapped her sharpened heels against the floor.

"Obviously, Katil, you're not that smarter person. First, we should talk about our normal combat strategies, and think of stratagems from there. Katil, you start."

The leader shrugged.

"I like to hit my opponent in the face until they stop moving. You two?"

"Well…" Melanie thought for a moment. "Same, actually, but we stab and slash instead. Norn?"

"I throw things at them at high speed until they stop moving."

"We're the pinnacle of variety here in team KMMK." Katil announced. "Sis has a pair of wired boomerangs; I've got a sweet arm, so have you two made any changes to your weaponry since last year?"

"No-"

"-Yes." Miltia interrupted her sister meekly.

"You have? When?"

"Norn's last weapon inspired the change." Saying this, Miltia demonstrated her claws' function. The three blades on each hand detached from the body of the weapon on wires, dangling loosely on the floor. "Norn lost her claw last year, but I thought it was a shame to let the idea behind it to go to waste…"

"Yeah, Jaune's dad never found it. Stupid Thane, making me drop my weapon over an edge to spare Kat and then cutting his arm off anyway…"

"The less said about that, the better." Katil spoke. "I think Weiss is still mad about what I did on that night."

"Eh?"

"Well, you, Ruby and Claws boarded the elevator he ran into, leaving me and Weiss with a butt-load of machines. She was injured already, and faced with a pretty damn big tin can. I, uh, left her to fend for her injured self and ran to help you guys on the elevator."

"And you lost your arm. Smooth going." Melanie tapped his metal arm. "Actually, I guess I can't really judge you for that, considering that you more or less saved Remnant by altering Thane's sword. Even if Weiss died, it would have been a small price to pay for the safety of Remnant."

"Damn, Mel, that's cold."

"It's just the truth. I think you made the right choice."

"Considering how close Weiss came to death, some would say otherwise for when the actual decision was made. Nobody knew how the elevator ride would have turned out."

Miltia retracted the blades of her claws.

"I think we're running out of time…"

Katil patted down his arm.

"Alright, good talk, guys. We thought of a lot of useful strategies in that meeting."

"Is what you would have liked to say." Melanie replied. "Just think of an order for us right now."

"Attack them until they stop moving."

The team collectively sighed, Katil especially. His first fight as the leader of KMMK was about to end in complete defeat. Ozpin was probably watching, already regretting his decision to make Katil the leader.

A claxon sounded. The battle would begin in a few seconds.

"Katil." Melanie spoke to him as Norn and Miltia continued. "At the very least, we're not making the victory easy for them, agreed?"

It would seem that Melanie had read his thoughts to the letter. He didn't know if he should have expected this kind of perception and attitude from Melanie, but he liked it.

"Agreed. Let's give 'em a run for their money."

Melanie and Katil joined the rest of the team in the centre of the ring, facing RWBY. The all girl team had their weapons primed and ready, with Weiss in particular setting her sights on the opposing cat Faunus. Gulping under her icy glare, Katil took his stance, planting his feet into the ground at a ninety degree angle, ready to counter and push back any starting attack.

"Oh, Kat?" Miltia whispered to Katil.

"Yeah?"

"I think I should have said something earlier, but I noticed a design contradiction with your new modifications…"

"H-Huh? What is it?"

Miltia didn't have time to answer. Adam didn't give a signal, but the fight still started of its own accord.

RWBY gained the initiative, with all four members dashing forward.

"Checkmate, on Katil!"

Ruby gave an order, and Weiss and Blake appeared before Katil, systematically attacking so that they covered each other's recovery after each swing, giving him no chance to counter. Nimbly dodging and parrying the blows, Katil lowered himself and swept for their feet, ducking under a blade, hitting Blake in the knee. He rose, using the velocity of his movement to throw an uppercut to Blake as she fell. Before his fist connected, she disappeared, making him hit a mere clone, not solid enough to cause the use of red Dust. A black shadow above him made him hop back, as Blake struck her blade into the ground, before swiftly stepping forward with a straight punch, but the strike was avoided as a white glyph appeared under her, throwing her back to Weiss.

Katil questioned Ruby's tactic of using half of RWBY's fighting force on him, but perhaps she thought that it was best defeat the leader, the strategist, first. Well, joke was on her, because that purpose was completely pointless.

Something landed on Katil's shoulder, and as he was about to grab it in defence, Norn jumped over him. She had used him as a stepping stone to drop on Weiss and Blake, landing between them, wildly swinging her roped boomerangs in a flurry of slashes resembling Blake's signature move with her own roped weapon. In fact, the attack was identical.

The two girls separated as Norn engaged Blake. The dog Faunus brought her weapons back to her hand with the rope, using them as a pair of small blades to fight Blake. The cat Faunus thrust forward, holding her gun in her off hand, and parried a swing, firing her gun when she thought Norn was held in place. Unexpectedly, Norn casually leaned back, avoiding the bullets as though they didn't exist, and tossed her boomerangs into the air to grab Blake's wrist and pull her towards herself, jumping and kicking the cat Faunus in the head.

Blake staggered back while Norn caught her weapons, whistling like no battle was even taking place.

"C'mon, after all that effort I put into teaching you how to use rope weapons in the White Fang, you don't even give me the pleasure of using them. Show me what you've learned, Blakey."

"And you were taught by Adam. Don't get arrogant, Norn."

Norn smirked. Leaning on the side of the arena, Adam watched the pair.

"Funny, isn't it? Me, you and Adam all belonged to the White Fang, and we all somehow ended up here."

"I came here first. I'm certain sometimes that you just freeloaded off of my idea."

"I came here because… Well, I've got nowhere else to go. And I didn't want to leave him again…"

The two Fauna shot a glance at Katil, battling Weiss at the edge of the zone.

"Let's catch up later, Norn. Honestly, I missed having a Faunus friend."

"Yeah, let us. Now, come at me." With a wagging tail, Norn extended her arm, inviting Blake to try and beat her.

Nearby, Melanie and Miltia clashed with Ruby and Yang. The Malachite twins advanced as a pair, like they would in their days of body-guarding. Miltia dashed to the side, letting Melanie take their attention, and appeared with a rapid cleave, striking the weapons of both Ruby and Yang. Sliding back, the blonde jumped forward, perhaps against Ruby's wishes, and began a barrage of brutal punches against Miltia, making her step back and detach her blades.

Melanie drew Yang's attention, countering with a flurry of kicks, and Miltia ducked under Ruby's swinging scythe to throw her roped claws at Yang, wrapping them around her wrist. Yang found that Miltia restricted her next punch, nearly being dragged to the floor, and in her moment of hesitation, was kicked in the head. While staggering, Yang tugged on the rope around her arm, pulling Miltia with her to the floor, and pushed out with her feet, throwing Miltia overhead.

The ropes came loose from Yang while Miltia fell back, landing between Katil and Weiss.

Katil was lunging at the time, but tripped over his red dressed team mate, nearly colliding with Weiss anyway. She produced a solid white glyph, which became a wall for Katil's head.

Miltia stood as Katil recovered from the concussion, clutching his head. Further back, Melanie struggled with both Ruby and Yang. A scythe swing was deftly ducked by Melanie, and Yang couldn't approach and attack when such a large weapon was being swung by her team mate. Using this to her advantage, Melanie forward rolled over a low swing, and swept Yang's legs, identifying that low attacks were a weakness to the gauntlet using blonde, knocking her to the floor. With her ascent, Melanie twin kicked Yang, sending her scattering across the floor.

Growling, Yang's hair slowly turned to fire.

"That signals our downfall." Miltia spoke softly.

"Meaning?" Katil watched as both Ruby and Melanie stepped back.

"Based on our last encounter, Yang gains power with each blow suffered."

"Isn't that a bit, I don't know, overpowered!?" Katil spluttered.

"I'm unsure of the details, but I think she just gets stronger and fierier. Her aura may not regenerate. In fact, the use of her semblance might just drain her aura even more."

"So, if we just keep hitting her, she WILL stop moving regardless of how strong she gets? I knew it was a valid strategy."

"Only if we can actually land a few more hits on her and extinguish her aura levels."

As though to accentuate her point, Yang punched Melanie with such force that she was now with Katil and Miltia.

"Evening." Melanie greeted them while standing, helped by Katil.

In the same moment, Blake landed in the middle of the present group, with Norn walking towards them whilst spinning her boomerangs in an arc to her sides.

"Try again, Blake."

Blake rolled to her team, avoiding the boomerangs as they dug into the floor she previously occupied. Norn pulled them back and stood by her team.

For a moment, the two teams faced each other. The next, they both resumed.

Blake jumped and spun her bladed gun in an encompassing circle, making KMMK scatter. Norn tossed the boomerang and increased its velocity with her semblance, speeding up its natural arc, and the rope wrapped around Blake as she was still suspended in the air. Unable to move freely or use her semblance to move somewhere else, Blake was pulled back to the ground by Norn and into Katil. A metal fist and a subsequent blast torpedoed her across the arena.

"Hell yeah, Ruby, you really know how to make weapons! Blake just got blasted back to initiation day!"

Yang and Weiss glared at Ruby, the modifier of the weapon that defeated Blake.

"Um… F-Freezerburn!" Ruby shouted nervously.

She ran forward and engaged Melanie and Miltia. Weiss stepped back and produced a glyph aimed at the twins, and Yang jumped onto it at an angle. Turning black, the glyph propelled Yang at the twins, with Miltia being the unfortunate soul to take the blow. Yang's fist slammed into Miltia with enough might to force her into the wall of the arena, with students above jumping further along the seats in fright.

"Sis, Mel, on Yang!" Katil called out to his remaining team members.

He could feel his metal fist started to pulse. If there was a time to take down RWBY's strongest fighter, it was now.

The pistons of his arm activated as he lunged at Yang. She attempted to block, but the sheer force of his attacks tossed her back. Melanie closed the distance and attacked to keep her in place, blade and gauntlet echoing through the room repeatedly, and Katil had time jump over a thrust by Weiss and slam his fist against Yang, knocking her into the wall.

With a vicious snarl, Yang kicked off the wall and brushed Katil aside. Norn took this moment to strike, sweeping the floor with both boomerangs, under the impression that following Melanie's anti-Yang tactic would work. Unfortunately, the plan was foiled by a simple hop by Yang, and resulted in a flaming punch to the gut. Melanie leaned back as Norn flew through the air and into the seating arrangements further along the arena.

Sun became the victim of a flying Norn, his team already gone as soon as they saw the threat. They crashed through several seats, both Fauna then tumbling back down to the bottom row. Norn heard Sun groan in pain as she fell over the edge of the seating area, collapsing next to Adam.

"Adam… Did I do good?"

"Without your help, your team now stands no chance of victory."

"Thanks for the support…"

Norn sighed and closed her eyes.

Melanie and Katil stood against Yang, avoiding projectiles and bullets from Ruby and Weiss. The boy's arm was still active, and he rolled over a white light tossed by Weiss to reach Yang, throwing his weapon into her body. She easily struck him aside, almost tearing his arm apart, and faced Melanie, jumping forward with a wild hook. The white dressed girl leaned to the side and caught her arm, jumping over her, and kicked her towards Katil with both feet.

Following up on Melanie's manoeuvre, Katil slammed his fist into her body, the force lifting her off the ground. He slid under her, pistons still at work, and each hit exploded her further into the air, before he reared the arm back. As Yang dropped back to the ground, he delivered a final punch that detonated her and hurled her between Ruby and Weiss.

For a moment, it seemed that Yang wasn't done yet, even with the blitz of explosions that Katil delivered unto her, but with a final breath, she stopped moving. His arm stopped its motions, with cooling vents unfolding and letting out steam.

"Now we're even…" Melanie murmured to herself. "Our silly kamikaze tactics actually work."

"Hurrah for teamwork, am I right?" Katil put out his real hand for a high five.

…Kamikaze? Couldn't the initials KMMK fit that word?

Melanie might have been about to accept the high five, but he would never find out, as a series of ballistics slammed her against the wall. Her aura dropped to red levels almost immediately, and she closed her eyes, unconscious.

"Sorry Kat, but you need a team for team work." Ruby commented.

"Ah, damn, completely forgot about you two…"

Alone, Katil stood against Ruby and Weiss and counted how many seconds he had left. Ruby pulled the hammer of her scythe, emptying a bullet from its chamber as Katil readied his final stand.

Ruby vanished in a whirl of roses and flanked him instantly while Weiss charged forward with a thrust, rotating the barrel in her rapier. Katil sidestepped, but the scythe caught him in the hip and tossed him a few feet away. Flipping on to all fours, he pounced back and aimed for Ruby. She raised her scythe in defence, just as he wanted. The ensuing explosion would throw her away long enough to engage Weiss alone for a few seconds.

That is, if there was an explosion in the first place. His fist simply connected with Ruby's weapon. Even Ruby knew what kind of mistake she had made, and flinched pre-emptively.

It quickly came to Katil why there was no usage of red Dust. His supply had been emptied when he defeated Yang. This was what Miltia probably wanted to say before the fight started. When his arm entered 'jackhammer' mode, the red Dust would still be used, but at an incredible rate due to the rapid strikes. A design contradiction, indeed.

"Heh… Sorry, Kat. Guess I didn't think about that…" Ruby giggled.

She pushed his arm away and circled around, swinging at his legs. Katil jumped and tried to bring his knee to her head, but he was interrupted by Weiss, having used a glyph to propel herself at him. The pair landed next to the edge of the arena.

With refined precision, Weiss assaulted Katil, stabbing high and low, centre and to the side, in an effort to break his defence. Katil brushed aside some attacks with a metal clang, others he leaned away from. Weiss attacked him with sheer malice, unnervingly silent, not even grunting, and finally, as he tried to counter with a twist kick, she ducked forward and jumped with a rising slash and a glyph.

They were both taken to the air, and while Katil steadied his orientation, Weiss was already above him, blade turned cyan. Her next swing sent him back to the ground with a coating of ice covering his body. On her descent, the blade turned burning red, and stabbing it into the ground, a pillar of flame blasted Katil several feet off the floor, removing the layer of ice. Next, Weiss did nothing special, but simply dashed ahead and stabbed him before he touched the ground. A white gleam indicating her sword's connection with his aura removed his remaining fighting spirit, knocking him against the wall.

Not yet satisfied, Weiss turned on the spot, producing several beams of cyan light that charged into his chest, each one planting him further into the wall. To finish, her blade gleamed pure white, and a glyph leading up to him would pitch her through the arena at high speed.

Before she could move, a gloved hand gripped her sword arm.

"That's enough, Schnee. You beat him three attacks ago."

Although his eyes weren't visible, Weiss could feel Adam's gaze drilling through her.

"…My apologies. I was simply lost in the moment."

Weiss pulled her hand back and put her sword away. The entire room fell into silence, but the fighters of the battle didn't notice, having drowned out all outside noise during the fight. Ruby watched silently as Weiss approached the unconscious Yang, her footsteps echoing louder than any sound in the arena.

She pushed Yang's shoulder, urging her awake, before walking away. Nearby, Blake still lay on the floor, but still witnessed the final moments. One by one, team RWBY left the arena.

"Got it out of your system…?" Katil coughed as he reached the limits of his stamina. Weiss paused momentarily upon hearing his words.

"It's quite difficult to fight alone, isn't it, Katil? It was difficult when you left me alone last year. Of course, you may have saved Remnant in doing so, but did you know that would happen when you made the choice? You didn't."

"Look, I won't argue the semantics, and you probably won't accept an apology. You're right. We were friends, even when you weren't a big fan of Fauna, and I should have helped you."

"Like hell…!" Melanie stirred. "If you did, where would we be? In holes in the ground, that's where-"

"-It's okay, Mel." Katil cut her off. "Let's let it go."

Melanie understood; He wanted the argument to be resolved, and put aside the feud with Weiss. Everything he just said might not have been what he really thought, he just said what he could to end this.

But at that moment, Melanie reached the sad conclusion that she would never hear his real thoughts on the topic. Before the fight, he mentioned how others might feel, but not his own feelings. He did what he had to in order to fix and maintain his relationships with others.

"Fine." Melanie rose. Further away, her sister crawled out of a hole in the wall. Norn also woke in time to hear the conversation, but said nothing, letting her brother mend his own problems.

"Katil." Weiss spoke one last time. "We're starting again, understand?"

"I understand. I won't let you down again."

"…Thank you. I'm sorry about any bruises I may have incurred on you."

Team RWBY left the arena, leaving KMMK to recuperate from their wounds.

* * *

Teedic lay comfortably in a blue robe on a bed in his dormitory. Night had arrived, leading to him closing the curtains of his dark blue themed dormitory.

It would be easy to assume that a quiet, mellow boy such as Teedic would listen to classical music, but contrarily, a song called 'From Shadows' played from a device in the corner of the room. Reading from a large, eight-hundred page book titled 'A Song of ice and Pyre,' he sipped from a glass of Sherry. Although alcohol was banned for students, Port had amusedly reminded him that he wasn't a student, and allowed him to take a bottle of his choice from the professor's cabinet. He couldn't refuse Port's well intended nature, but keeping it a secret from Goodwitch was for the best for both people involved.

There couldn't possibly have been a better way to spend an evening. Flicking his long, blue hair behind his ear, Teedic quickly thought of something, his deep, ocean like eyes widening briefly. He neatly folded the corner of a page before leaning to his left, picking up a pencil and a notepad, and scribbled an image on it. Several minutes passed, and he put the tools down. He had just drawn his second design for his emblem, and one he liked much more than the last. Nothing fancy, merely a wave of calm water, referencing his calm nature, and a sun rising in the corner, suggesting that his potential for knowledge was still nascent. Perfect.

Adjusting his glasses, Teedic stood and made his way to the corner of the room, a kitchenette, where his music playing device finished the song. Now that the playlist was over, it switched automatically to a radio station.

'The Hephaestus Cult seems to have become increasingly rowdy within the past hour, possibly suggesting that they are getting closer and closer to their goal. A pair of individuals belonging to neither side has been, and it is believed they are responsible for a fire reported in the town earlier…_'_

Teedic paused, intrigued, but no new developments seemed set to occur for now, so he repeated the playlist, starting with 'I Burn.' Next, he took a tub with a label (Property of Teedic Darkwater) and decided on tomorrow's meal. Contemplatively, the teaching assistant considered brown, wholegrain bread for a sandwich, which Goodwitch told him boosted brainpower, but in a moment of arrogance, believed that this was not needed. Instead, Teedic made a banana slice sandwich with white bread.

The boy would never be able to find out who made these dormitories, but he couldn't help but feel that the rooms were flawed. Built for four people, the kitchenettes couldn't hold every item one would expect from a kitchen, such as a fridge, which, along with a washing machine, sat in the opposite end of the room. Sighing at the inconvenience, Teedic carried his sandwich and walked to the fridge, passing his Gear Blade that leaned on the wall, a shelf of thick books, and the door.

The door swung open and struck him in the face.

Remnant spun from Teedic's perspective. The sandwich scattered over his body, a piece of buttered bread sticking to his forehead and banana slices to his robe.

"What the devil…!?"

Swiping away the bread, Teedic affixed his glasses back on his nose and looked up, head resting on the ground.

"Oh my gosh, I'm SO sorry… Boy, this place's colour scheme sure is blah."

A fox Faunus, specifically, the annoying girl who became Ozpin's assistant, stood in the doorway.

"Cheers Bright, was it not? Why did you feel the need to kick my door off its hinges?"

Fox tail swishing from side to side, Cheers grabbed his wrist and pulled him off the ground. Her bright eyes shone in the light of the room, tiara flashing.

"My Mom always said to enter with a bang. She dumped me in an orphanage after that, but she was still right."

"Fascinating." He was actually more fascinated about how she mentioned this so casually. "Is there a particular reason as to why you are here tonight?"

Cheers nodded with a smile, her blonde ponytail flicking through the air.

"I'm your roommate, obviously!"

The four words knocked the wind out of his sails.

"Gods, no…"

"Gods, YES!" She threw an arm over his shoulder. "We're gonna be besties! Two assistants to the best teachers in Beacon, striving to overcome each other for the affection of those teachers, competing for glory and acknowledgement."

"That's a rivalry."

She put a finger to her lip, in thought.

"Oh, right. By the way, you're covered in banana pieces for some reason. Didn't you notice?"

"Why, thank you for your brilliant perception." Teedic sarcastically remarked and scooped them off his robe, dropping them in the trash.

"See, I'm already proving useful to this household!" Immune to sarcasm, Cheers flopped onto one of the three unused beds. "But seriously, this place needs a lick of paint. What's with all the calm blue?"

"It's a serene colour, although I have a qualm that you know little of serenity."

"What's a serenity?"

Teedic stopped cleaning the floor, lost for words.

"Is…Is there… really not another spare dormitory around here!?"

"Nah. Ozzie said that this year and the next are packed with new applicants, so it was a miracle there was a spare room to begin with."

…Maybe Teedic could sabotage the applicant results. Hang on, what was he thinking!? How could he ruin people's futures just for his own happiness?

"Fine. But if we must live together, we need to set some boundaries. First, let us always keep our voices at a quiet, comfortable speaking level-"

"No problem!" Cheers responded loud enough to wake their neighbours. "I think our second boundary should be that we always sleep in separate beds."

Teedic had taken a sip of sherry when she spoke, and almost spat out the drink.

"Well, bloody naturally. Did you expect me to sneak into your bed in the dead of night?"

Cheers eyed him suspiciously.

"I wouldn't put it past you…"

"I beg your pardon? We've known each other for less than a day and you assume me to be some form of pervert?"

"You never know with teenage boys."

What went through this girl's mind?

"You have my word of honour. Moreover, you strike me as the sort of girl who would beat a man or woman senseless if they made any unwarranted moves on you."

"Well, with everybody except one guy, but that's super irrelevant. And I bet you're a househusband sort of guy, right? You stay home and look after the house while your wife works, am I right?"

Teedic poured sherry for them both.

"Not particularly so. I prefer work, but intellectual work, unlike seemingly everybody in Vale who aspires to become a hunter or huntress."

She scoffed a response.

"Intellectual work? Isn't that boring?"

"Not so. The pursuit of knowledge is an outstanding and intriguing pursuit-"

"-Boring."

"…And can lead to new discoveries in scientific-"

"-Boring."

"…Also, knowledge can empower-"

"-Boring."

"I've thought of a third boundary. We respect each other's life choices."

Cheers jumped next to him and took a glass of alcohol.

"Cheers." She offered the tip of the glass.

"I'm aware, your name is Cheers Bright." Out of a lack of understanding of social situations, Teedic didn't notice that she was offering a toast. "Teedic Darkwater, by the way."

"Ooh, Darkwater, so cool sounding. Don't worry, I'll work to make you a way more fun loving guy."

"Must you?"

"Kids like you should be enjoying life."

"I'm sixteen, only two years younger than yourself. What right do you have to call me kid?"

"I dunno. I always wanted to say that like a mentor."

Cheers perched on the end of her bed. It occurred to Teedic that she brought no possessions with her.

"As Professor Goodwitch is prone to point out, you'll find that my mental age far exceeds most students in Beacon."

"Pfft, mental age doesn't matter, I've got you figured out already."

Curious, Teedic set his glass on the counter.

"You have me figured out? Try me."

"You address Goodwitch as Professor Goodwitch even when she's not around because you've been taught from a young age to respect authority. Your attitude is slightly more arrogant around me, since we're both assistants and on the same level with each other, and that's the only way you were able to judge me. I'm willing to bet that, although you say your mental age is higher than theirs, you're shyer around other students because you've never been around people your own age throughout your life, just authoritative adults. Your choice of sophisticated, 'grown-up' alcohol gives that away, and so does that thick-ass book on your bed. Very few people our age in this era would have stuff like this instead of weapons, and that sword with the gears on the wall is probably borrowed from Ozpin, a guy with a gear symbol. I also bet that you don't know how to wield it."

Teedic said nothing, leaning back on the counter looking through her as opposed to looking at her.

"Well played, Cheers, well played…"

"And now you're wondering why I'm so good at judging people."

She certainly was good. Oddly good.

"Very well, allow me to reciprocate. I'm afraid that I'm at an advantage as I've inspected your application and medical files, but instead, I shall figure out your background prior to your entry into Beacon, and how it affects you as a person to this day."

"Go right ahead."

Teedic took a deep breath.

"Behavioural Variant Frontotemporal Dementia, a mental disability that can cause extreme obsessions, and what you were diagnosed with at the age of four. Tragically, I believe your biological parents were unable to cope with you at the time, hence why you were placed in an orphanage's care."

"Not bad, not bad. Keep going."

"You don't appear traumatised by the event, indicating that it led to many good things for you. No doubt you've met all kinds of people over the years, giving you plenty of experience in socialisation, which is how you can easily kick your way into your new living locale without unease. Maybe an adopted family taught you to make friends and focus on living your life. However, you seem unusually knowledgeable, which, no offence, seems peculiar for one such as yourself. This leads me to the conclusion that you have been adopted by more than one family, the second of which was a studious, hard working family that drilled you with study techniques. But it is odd that you would have been adopted by a second, studious family after the first, sociable family… If I took a shot in the dark, I would say that another tragedy in your life occurred, and the first family died somehow."

"You 'are' pretty good. It was a car accident. Anything else?"

Teedic paced back and forth.

"Hm… It can't have ended there. With such a studious family, they would have forced you to enter further education, not let you be employed as an assistant to Ozpin. The odds of another tragedy are extremely slim, so you… must have run away from that family of your own accord. Yes, that has to be it. You were adopted by a third family after that, one that gave you more free reign over your life, and maybe even teach you to fight. Although you were a part of this new family, they didn't particularly govern over what you did, allowing you to chase after whatever had garnered your obsession at that moment in time. Hang on, that's it! That's why you came here all the way from Menagerie! Something here has gained the attention of your obsessive behaviour! Also, you willingly left this new family behind for it, so you did not care for them, either. You prefer making friends, as friends, to you, are practically family you can choose for yourself." Teedic unintentionally punched the air in triumph over his analysis. "I, uh, I mean I'm sorry for your losses over the years."

With a laugh, Cheers stood and patted him on the shoulder.

"Hey, don't be sorry. You're right about my life in general, give or take a few details. I think you're definitely a worthy roommate."

"You're not vexed about how I just picked your terrible background apart?"

She shrugged, refilling her glass.

"Why would I be? Nothing tragic happened."

"…I beg your pardon?"

"All of those families taught me what I needed to know in life, but I never cared about them. Whether or not they're dead or I left them behind totally doesn't matter, because, as you put it, I can choose my own family now. To hell with real and adoption families!"

Teedic couldn't find the words to say. Was this line of thinking something that some people in the world actually thought, or… was this her diseased mind talking?

"Didn't you have friends in Menagerie?"

"I still do. We can talk on our scrolls, no matter where we are." Her fox tail perked up at the thought of her friends. "But there's always room for more in my family."

Could it be…? A thought came to Teedic regarding her mental disturbance.

Maybe what she obsessed over wasn't a particular object or person; it was friendship. At the very least, she might think she obsessed over something or someone, but subconsciously, she recognised that certain things could lead to more friends. Her reason for coming to Beacon could be related to that, if only he knew who or what it was.

"That's a nice way of looking at it, Cheers. I would be honoured to be a part of your family."

The taller fox Faunus swept him in a hug, against his wishes.

"Aw, look how you've warmed up to me! I knew it wouldn't take long."

She dropped him, letting him gasp for breath.

In the midst of their conversation, 'I Burn' had ended. Teedic quickly recalled something of interest happening on the radio, and switched it over.

Lisa Lavender still gave live updates.

'At this moment, it appears that the entire Hephaestus cult has stopped digging and drilling and is uniting in a single area on their side of Pithos. An explosion has been reported from a cave recently, and many shouts indicate that their objective has been found, and will soon be brought to light. In the chaos of it all, two individuals have been spotted running away from the cult's side of Pithos, and have boarded an airship to flee the town, but their affiliation and purpose in Pithos is unknown.'

"Boooooring!" Cheers switched the radio back to the playlist, and 'Mirror Mirror' started playing. Teedic noticed the speed with which she turned the radio off.

A knock on the door gathered both of their attentions.

* * *

"Admit it; We were close."

"Myself and Ruby had not taken a single scratch. You were not close, Katil."

Weiss and Katil's conversation about the earlier battle was interrupted by Ren.

"Okay, I'll do a roll call." Ren counted the sheer amount of people around him.

Many students stood next the entrance to a particular dormitory, clumped together in the wallpapered hallway. According to Katil, who stood next to Ren, this was Cheers' new living locale. As they had been assigned the task of finding information on Pandora, they all decided to talk with Cheers, a former member of the Hephaestus cult.

"Yeesh, how many do we have?" Sun murmured to Neptune.

"Team RWBY?" Ren called out.

"Present!" Ruby shouted.

"JNPR?"

"Here!" Nora shouted, but then looked around, disturbed. "Wait, Ren's not here!" She only counted Jaune and Pyrrha standing in front of her.

"Nora, I'm doing the roll… Never mind. SSSN?"

"Just me and Neppy here!" Sun said, next to Katil. The male cat Faunus stifled a laugh.

"Sssssun? Really?"

"No, genius, it's just pronounced Sun. I mean, I'm not a big fan of the initial set, but it gets the job done. You know who the boss is!" Sun's tail whipped through the air proudly.

"So why aren't the other two members of SSSN with their boss?"

"Because, uh… Because shut up."

"Can't argue with that…"

Ren continued.

"KMMK?"

"All here." Katil raised his hand in acknowledgement.

"I have a sneaking suspicion that all sixteen of us won't fit in this room." Weiss exclaimed, to Yang's confusion.

"Wait, sixteen? Isn't there thirteen of us?"

"Of course not, you dolt. RWBY, JNPR, KMMK, and two members of SSSN… Hold a moment, that's not right…"

"There's fourteen." Blake said quietly.

"But Nora's not here, is she?" Norn swept brown hair out of her eyes.

"I'm right here!" Nora's hand poked out of the crowd.

"But isn't the rabbit Faunus here? She was at the theme park, so I assumed she was a part of our group." Pyrrha looked around.

"She isn't. Trust me, I'd notice." Katil replied.

"Hang on, I'm lost. Is it thirteen?" By now, nobody could tell who was talking.

Ignoring the voices around her, Melanie knocked on the door of Cheers' dormitory.

A moment of talking passed before the door swung open.

In the doorway, Teedic and Cheers stared at the large group. Noticing the pair, everybody stopped talking.

"Always room in your family for more? You weren't joshing." They didn't know what Teedic was talking about.

"Okay, that's actually pretty ridiculous…" Cheers replied.

Melanie pushed a nervous Katil in front of the group, facing Cheers. The cat Faunus stammered momentarily, his ears flattening against his head.

"…H-H-Hey."

"Oh, Katil! We meet again for the third time ever!"

"Cheers, I'll be straight. We're here to talk to you about Pandora and the Hephaestus cult, so can you 'please' drop the act?"

"Woah, way to kill the mood. I just wanted to start over again…"

Start over again? Did she mean… pretend that everything in Menagerie didn't occur, including how they fought each other?

"Yeah, sure, whatever you say. If you're trying to forget that, I'm sorry. But we need to know about it, Ozpin's orders."

With a groan, Cheers paced back and forth repeatedly, and Katil was reminded of a fact told to him by a friend from the resistance group they once belonged to; Certain animals like foxes and cats tend to pace back and forth when bored, frustrated or stressed.

"Okay, everybody, come in. Oh, and ignore the weird colour scheme."

Teedic quickly spoke up.

"Ah, a fourth boundary, Cheers. Let's not host meetings with fourteen other people in this room without consulting each-"

Blatantly ignoring him, the group all entered the dormitory at once, stampeding through him and imprinting dirt on the floor.

"Ah, excellent taste in music." Weiss noted that her song was playing.

"Forget the colour scheme, where's the character in this room? No posters or badass decorations anywhere." Sun allowed himself the liberty of poking through Teedic's items. "C'mon, who reads this stuff?" He pulled out books, checked them, and then put them back out of order.

"Who dumped a sandwich in the trash? That's incredibly wasteful." Ren commented sternly.

"Sherry, huh? Well, you two have fine tastes and an even finer supplier, whoever it may be…" Melanie looked at the alcohol.

Nobody noticed Teedic leaving in their pandemoniac analysis of the room.

* * *

"I will require a very good reason to discuss Pandora with you, Caius."

Caius and Ozpin walked together through the courtyard of Beacon, night having set on the premises and the wind blowing at their clothing. They made their way to the tallest tower of Beacon, where Ozpin's office sat on the highest floor. The broken moon hung accompanied their path. Caius had not intended to stay here for long, but since Nora had left him to find Ren, it had taken a good deal of time to actually find the headmaster. Why did it take him so long to deduce that Ozpin would be drinking coffee in a teacher's lounge? At least Nora would have some time to spend with her friends before they left again.

"We both share a common interest in it. Of course, I had simply assumed that, as a hunter, you were fascinated in the item that would make revolutionary groups stage coup d'ètats on amusement parks."

They turned a corner as Ozpin sipped coffee.

"Naturally. But knowing that you are in the employ of Cinder, as my students easily recognised from your previous visit, what leads you to believe I will divulge my information?"

"A response to be expected, I suppose. Honestly, Pandora is only a partial reason for my visit, but it's better to try than to not at all."

"A good attempt, at the very least."

Both men entered the tower, where an elevator stood tall in the centre of a bronze themed lobby. Caius didn't pay much attention to his surroundings before entering the transport, with Ozpin pressing the button that would take them to the top.

"I've come to speak with you about a man by the name of James Ironwood."

Ozpin's expression didn't change as he stared through the glass window of the elevator, watching Beacon become smaller.

"With me? For what reason?"

"Both of you being headmasters of your respective academies, or at least his synonym of the term in Atlas, it is quite likely that you both communicate on a regular basis. Also, his flight records which my ally legally obtained-"

"-I doubt Cinder does anything legally, Caius."

"-Which Cinder illegally obtained suggests that he has visited Beacon numerously."

Illegally or legally, the files on some individuals that Cinder sent to his scroll had proven useful recently.

"Fair logic. However, as Ironwood is a friend of mine, you will not obtain any damning statements about him from me."

"A friend? Is that what you think he is, Ozpin?"

They were silent for the rest of the journey, leading Caius to believe that Ozpin had discovered something recently that confirmed Ironwood as a foe, or at least not an ally.

Eventually, the elevator came to a halt. The pair stepped into Ozpin's office, the gears turning overhead, casting silhouettes on the ground.

"Teedic?"

To their surprise, Teedic was already present, sitting in an armchair facing the window. Flustered, the boy stood and closed the book he was reading, taking out his headphones. Ozpin could faintly hear the radio playing through them.

'Members of the cult are now leaving the cave, but the item in question has yet to be seen…' Lisa Lavender's voice came through the headphones.

"Ah, m-my apologies, Sir. I'll take my leave." Teedic saw that Ozpin was not alone.

"No, not necessary, Teedic. I understand that Cheers may need some time alone to make arrangements in your dormitory."

It seemed that Ozpin hadn't noticed her complete lack of possessions.

"That, and an unruly mob of fourteen students had shown up, but I'm certain they will leave within the hour."

"Fourteen? Ah, it must be them… At any rate, stay here as long as you need to."

"Thank you, Sir."

Teedic sat back down and resumed listening to his scroll. Ozpin clearly didn't care if he overheard the upcoming conversation. The headmaster sat behind his desk, inviting Caius to take a seat in front of him.

"Now, Caius, I would ask you how much you know of Ironwood's activities, but you are not a stupid man."

"Well deduced. How about we trade information on Ironwood, instead?"

"That seems fair. I shall begin, but my current knowledge on his recent activities is not expansive. In fact, it may not qualify as substantial."

"I'll accept anything you can give me."

Ozpin downed the rest of his coffee.

"As you stated earlier, myself and the professors of Beacon are indeed hunting for Pandora. Without going into too much detail, I sent somebody to what the news reports as the starting point of Pandora and the Hephaestus cult, Pithos."

Caius recalled the name Pithos cropping up on the radio earlier.

"Pithos… A name I should probably keep in mind."

Although Ozpin didn't want to discuss Pandora, this sort of information couldn't be helped but talked about in this context.

"You would do well to. We have been investigating Pithos for at least four months, since rumours of Pandora first sprouted, although this was before the formation of the Hephaestus cult. We eventually came to the conclusion that Pandora could not be in Pithos, as many have been excavating the area for a long time in search of it with no success. It also happens to be where we first met Teedic, during our first expedition of the area, and during one of his field trips his parents requested he embark on.

"Carrying on, earlier today, I received a message from Bartholomew, the individual in question. He simply stated that he encountered opposition from Ironwood's machines. That in itself is unusual as Ironwood's products only attack humans, Fauna and wildlife if they trespass in an area they are guarding. Do you now what this means?"

"It means that his machines are actively guarding Pithos, the origin town of Pandora, and will gun down any unwanted individuals. He is protecting something there, maybe even Pandora itself."

"Maybe. Unfortunately, that is where my information ends, on Ironwood, at any rate. It has allowed me to reach the conclusion that James is somehow involved with Pandora, when he knows that we are attempting to find it, yet he has said nothing on the topic. As you say, James may not be an ally."

Ozpin stopped and propped his head on the back of his hands, allowing Caius to take notes.

"When was the last time you spoke to him?"

"Last night, although our brief talk was made briefer by his sudden exit. He only mentioned that something had come up before he ended our call."

Last night…? There's only one thing that came to Caius' mind.

"That may have been my fault."

"Yours?"

Caius retold the events of last night, from his visit to Ironwood, finding the files in his desk, and his encounter with Steele, ending with his talk with Penny. He left out Nora's name completely, and didn't explain how he came to know Penny.

"In short, Ironwood is what my daughter would call a big, dumb, lying jerk. I would call him deceptive, honestly."

Ozpin didn't respond straight away, only considering one of the ending statements.

"He is partnered with Schnee in regards to Pandora, and plans to target Beacon with it? I sincerely hope you are not lying, as this joke would cause your swift exit from my office."

"I'm only reporting my knowledge of events so far. And when you combine this with the fact that his machines are stationed in Pithos, it certainly seems that he has a lot of leeway when it comes to Pandora. If he wants to target Beacon with it, he probably knows its power, which is more than could be said of anybody else right now."

The headmaster turned in his chair, facing the window in contemplation. In the distance, the lights of an incoming airship were visible. Oobleck had returned from Pithos.

"Caius."

"Hm?"

"Let us exchange scroll numbers. I wish to employ you for a task."

That was unexpected.

"Of course. This task is…?"

"I simply wish to know of James' movements. Although I despise being unable to trust my friends, if he does not tell me anything about Pandora, and wishes to bring ruin to my academy with it, then your skills will be necessary. Of course, you can expect payment for your services."

"No money needed." He scribbled his number on the corner of a page of his notebook and tore it off. "I'm already collating information on Ironwood on the side, so I'll just pass what I find onto you."

Actually, he did need money, but felt that it wouldn't be right in this instance. He could sense genuine concern from Ozpin over the inability to trust who may have been a close friend.

"Thank you, Caius." Ozpin passed to him a business card. "Do not hesitate to call if you require assistance, although we may not be as receptive to helping if Cinder and her shady companions are involved."

"Understood. Take care."

With a tip of his hat, Caius walked to the door.

"Oh, and do you know the whereabouts of your daughter-"

Caius quickly hammered on the button of the elevator, the doors closing instantly with a slam.

* * *

Ozpin sat in silence, watching Oobleck's airship get closer and closer, thinking of everything that had occurred lately. He wanted to speak with James right this minute, but decided to wait until the other professors had arrived.

"Sir! Something has happened that I believe you will be interested in!"

Teedic called out to him from across the room. The blue haired assistant of Goodwitch dashed over quicker than Ozpin had ever seen him move, unplugging the headphones from the scroll. Lisa Lavender's voice came through the speaker, and the screen showed her face.

'It can now be confirmed that Pandora exists.'

"Hm?" Ozpin listened intently, as the screen changed to show a view of a desert town. Several brightly dressed cult members ran through dusty buildings and open areas, screaming in ecstasy.

"Sir, was it not confirmed that Pandora did not reside in Pithos?"

"That is the conclusion we reached as a group, but it seemed that we just did not investigate the town enough."

Lavender carried on with her report.

'The Hephaestus cult situated opposite the machines of Ironwood in Pithos has begun to parade their side of the sand-filled town, exhilarated with their find.'

Hyperactively, members drew together at the top of a sand bank. The view from the helicopter recording the occurrence prevented a clear view of Pandora at first, but an opening formed in the centre of the group. Of the two hundred or so members, a man with a white mask stepped forward, holding a silver box over his head.

'Behold, Remnant! Pandora is in our grasp!' The man's voice reached the helicopter, and the world.

Pandora looked far less extraordinary than Teedic and Ozpin envisioned, although the poor quality of the camera against the bright backdrop of the town may have been the cause of this; Pithos sat in an area far from Vale, meaning evening had only just arrived for the town. The silver box bore no visible markings, nor did it look worn, unusual for its supposed age.

The holder of Pandora sat it on the sand, and lifted the top, revealing…

"…Nothing?" Teedic remarked.

Pandora held nothing inside.

"Curious…" Ozpin continued to watch the display.

Despite it being empty, the members remained adamant that it was capable of something. They all took exasperated gasps, not of surprise, but of joy.

'Yes, yes, just as Ember had foretold! Allow me to demonstrate the capabilities of Pandora for Remnant to see!' The man resumed. He took to his knees in front of Pandora. 'Burn me! Incinerate my very being, and bring me closer to the embrace of the Grand Fire Summoner!'

Teedic almost wanted to laugh.

"The insanity of the cult knows no bounds, does it not, Sir? How could this empty box grant self immo-"

The man burst into flames almost immediately. A pillar of fire consumed him entirely as the surrounding members cheered loudly.

Ozpin hoped Caius wasn't watching; the complete lack of logic would be driving him insane.

By the time the fire stopped, ashes remained. Too excited to wait her turn, a woman stepped forward.

'Wealth! Grant me prosperity beyond all others!'

And with that, silver, ephemeral particles formed a solid gold bar in front of the woman. Seeing her wish come true, she collapsed on the gold. (Ozpin noted that her collapse appeared to be from exhaustion.)

One by one, others stood before Pandora, the next more excited than the last, describing their desires. Some wanted wealth and grand, selfish fulfilled wishes, and collapsed with their granted items. Others wanted small, humble wishes granted, before gleefully re-entering the masses around them. One man asked for his son's life threatening illness to be cured before passing out instantly. Another asked for her husband to be brought back from the dead, but curiously, nothing happened to her. The woman then ran away, presumably to a cemetery, then came back covered in dirt and sand, screaming that Pandora failed to grant her wish.

"Bartholomew will arrive from Pithos in a few minutes. He will have information for us, I'm certain."

Teedic took a deep breath and stepped back from the table, taking in everything they had just seen.

And with abstract horror written on his face, Teedic pointed out of the window.

"Sir, he's arriving quicker than you think!"

Ozpin turned to the window to see that Oobleck's airship had caught fire.

"Fire is generally never a good sign."

"Neither is the way it's flying into us!"

Just as Teedic said, the airship was not only on fire, but en route directly to Ozpin's office. They were so close that two men could be seen at the front holding a detached pilot wheel in confusion.

"Yes, that does bode ill. Get back!"

Ozpin grabbed Teedic by the shoulder and pulled him to far end of the office as the airship crashed through the window and roof. Large gears crashed through the floor and the airship rammed though the walls, breaking apart the office rapidly. The thunderous accident had probably awoken the entirety of Beacon, with debris clattering on the floor and ground far below them. An entire engine from the airship came loose and fell before it stopped scraping through the office, creating sparks with the brick and metal work of the tower.

The tip of the airship came millimetres away from Teedic's face, prodding his glasses.

Time had stopped, nothing moved, except for the fire that encapsulated the airship.

After a few moments, the elevator to their side opened, and Goodwitch and Port entered the remains of Ozpin's office, flustered and concerned.

"Headmaster, Teedic, are you hurt!?" Goodwitch came to their side, having already taken a first aid kit from somewhere in case somebody was injured.

"No Glynda, our lives are intact. Just."

Port picked up a piece of metal that fell from the airship.

"Gah, this airship will require a pricy repair!" Somehow, the state of the room slipped his notice.

It was only now that a stairwell ejected from the side of transport, resting on stable footing. A dishevelled and slightly blackened Oobleck, dressed in his exploring gear, descended, before looking around slowly and indicating all around him.

"Well, jeepers, Jacques! Was this parking space memorable enough for you!?" Oobleck shouted to the airship.

After a moment, a tall, blonde man, dressed similarly to Jaune Arc stepped down.

"I didn't mean park the damn thing in Ozzie's office!" His gruff tones carried through the open air.

Ozpin waved away the dust around them.

"…Jacques?"

The blonde man turned to see him.

"Ozzie, I swear, this was all his fault!"

Jacques' unforgettable face came into view. Countless battles, adventures and lucky close shaves made their marks on his lightly stubbled face, but his dauntless blue eyes still retained a hunger for excitement. Although this type of excitement may not have been to his taste.

Oobleck scoffed.

"My fault!? If you had a double digit IQ, we would not have burst into flames!"

"You can't blame me for that! I thought those barrels held coffee, not red Dust!"

"Even so, you would have been nowhere near them if you hadn't let the umbrella girl on board!"

"You were with me as well, and you sure didn't see her board us!"

"She wouldn't have done so if you didn't try to bury her in a cave with those Fauna!"

"Accident, total accident."

Ozpin got between them.

"Both of you, calm down."

"I'm not letting him pin this on me!" Jacques ranted. "His withdrawal symptoms are to blame!"

"My caffeine addiction may have led to us being targeted by Ironwood's machines, but did it lead to the townsfolk setting their own town on fire? You'll find that it didn't, because that was you."

"And you'll find that you were the one who triggered the remote explosives in that cave! They found Pandora because of that!"

"What was I supposed to do, let the machines and the cult kill us?"

This time, Goodwitch stepped in front of them.

"The headmaster has asked you both to be calm. I believe he needs some time to mourn the loss of his office, which both of you are responsible for."

"Nuh-uh!" Both men said at once.

Ozpin sighed and kicked a pebble off the edge of his destroyed room.

"Mourning can come later. For now, I believe it is for the best if we heard the tale of Bartholomew and Jacques. And Jacques, when did you become involved in this?"

Putting his hands in his packet and whipping his blonde, dirty hair to the side, the scarred man approached the burning wreckage.

"Take a seat by the fire of the airship, my friends, because I have a hell of a story for you."


End file.
